Sarutahiko Familia Premise Chapter 8 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter! After the War Game, Bell needs his armor repaired and some new weapons. Thankfully, after taking all of Soma Familia assets in the War Game, the Sarutahiko Familia has plenty of Valis to spend! Bell can use and work with practically any weapon, but the quality is now the issue as he needs gear that can handle going deeper into the Dungeon. Once new gear is obtained, however, it’ll be time to dungeon crawl with Lili some more. Now that she can get regular Status Updates and is under the effect of Bell’s growth Skill, just how fast will our favorite Prum grow?

If you’d like to become a patron and get access to these chapters earlier, just head on over to Pat re on and add a /Kairomaru after the com.

Make sure to thank the patrons that make these stories possible by checking out the Patron Plaque on my profile!

So, without further delay, please enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 8 – Gear, Blacksmith, Progress

In the Hephaestus Familia Shop on the Eighth Floor of Babel Tower, Bell was looking through the various weapons and armor on display. While any of the weapons would be fine (he was skilled with almost anything thanks to his grandfather and his own talent) he wasn’t seeing any armor like the ‘shinobi armor’ that Sarutahiko had given him.

“Maybe they don’t make it in Orario?” Bell considered as he moved further back towards the front of the shop.

“Not finding anything you like?” A man’s voice questioned.

Bell looked at the man and saw a red-haired guy about his own age, or maybe a couple years older, wearing a black yukata-like robe over white pants and with black boots on his feet. Looking into the other man’s grey-blue eyes, Bell saw honest curiosity within.

“I’m looking for armor like this.” Bell opened the duffel bag that he was carrying with him and pulled out the shinobi battle armor to show the redhead. “But I’m not seeing anything like it. If I can’t find new armor, I’d like to get this set repaired and made stronger, if possible.”

“Hmm,” The man looked over the armor that had been damaged in the War Game. “Yeah, I’ve not seen that style much in Orario.” He looked up at Bell with a grin. “But if you want that set repaired and upgraded, I could handle that for you.” He offered while pointing at himself with his thumb.

Bell blinked at the sudden offer. “Really? You can repair and upgrade my armor?!”

“Sure can!” The man nodded confidently. “The name’s Welf Crozzo, currently a low-ranking Smith in the Hephaestus Familia.” He offered his hand to Bell.

“Bell Cranel, Captain of the Sarutahiko Familia.” Bell shook Welf’s hand with a smile.

Welf blinked and looked at Bell more closely. “Whoa! You are him!” It seemed that Welf hadn’t fully realized that he’d been talking to the man that was still the talk of Orario after his one vs one-hundred War Game.

“Yeah.” Bell chuckled slightly, having gotten a bit used to all of the attention lately. “So, about my armor…” He wanted to move the conversation along.

“Right, right, sorry about that.” Welf apologized for his outburst. “Yeah, I can repair and improve the armor as long as you can provide the right materials.”

Bell nodded in agreement with that. “What materials would you suggest, Mr. Welf?”

Welf brightened up a bit at Bell asking for his opinion first, instead of making some impractical demand like some of his previous ‘clients’ had tried to do before he sent them on their way. “Well, from what I saw of the War Game, you’re a mobile fighter, using Magic to add range and overwhelm groups, so we’d want you to keep that mobility.” Welf mused on what materials to use in the repair and upgrade of Bell’s armor. “We could use White Wood and Light Metal… Both of them are durable, but don’t weigh much when compared to other materials like Valmarth or Adamantite.”

“That sounds like a good start.” Bell agreed with Welf’s assessment. “If you’ll show me where to buy the materials, I can get that taken care of today.”

“Sure thing, Bell.” Welf clapped his hand onto Bell’s shoulder with a bright smile. “We can buy the materials and head to my smithy. Once I have your measurements down, I’ll get to work. Shouldn’t take more than two or three days to have the armor repaired and upgraded. Any weapons you want while I’m working?” He asked as they headed out of the shop. Unbeknownst to Bell, this was a test that Welf always did nowadays so that he could reject a potential client if they asked for a Magic Sword.

“Do you specialize in certain weapons, Welf?” Bell wondered what Welf’s preference might be. “I can fight well with just about any weapon thanks to my grandpa’s training.”

Welf gave Bell a chance that this wouldn’t lead to asking for a Magic Sword. “I’m pretty good at knives and swords; but I’ve done axes, spears, and even a couple of warhammers in my time.”

Bell looked thoughtful as he contemplated what to ask for while stepping onto the elevator that would take them down to the ground floor. “Maybe another sword? The chokuto felt pretty good in my hands.”

“That’s a straight sword from the Far East, right?” Welf asked for confirmation. When he got a nod from Bell he continued. “I can forge one for you. If you have the money we could make it out of Nosteel. It’s a mineral from the Lower Floors, so it should last through the Middle Floors easy enough.”

“Lord Sarutahiko did say to spend freely given our newfound finances.” Bell nodded as he followed after Welf towards the Free Market where Adventurers freely sold their materials from the Dungeon (except for Magic Stones, of course, as it was illegal to sell them to anyone except the Guild).

With Welf leading him, and the Blacksmith’s experience in haggling the price of materials, Bell bought the Nosteel, White Wood, and Light Metal for a total cost of 240,000 Valis for the quantity that he needed. After the materials were purchased, Bell followed Welf to his smithy to get measured for the repair and upgrade of his armor.

-Welf’s Smithy-

“Okay…that’s your measurements done.” Welf wrote down the last number that he’d just measured. “So, let me sketch out something for you, and then we can go over things like final color of the armor, estimated time of completion, and stuff like that.”

“Right.” Bell sat on a stool next to Welf and watched the Smith start sketching.

The armor that Welf was sketching out was identical to his original dark gray shinobi battle armor, but with some slight adjustments here and there in the design. Nothing too drastic, just what would further fortify and strengthen the armor overall.

“Whoa.” Bell marveled at the armor on the paper. “It’s almost the same, but I can tell it’s been upgraded a bit just by looking.”

“Yep, with Light Metal and White Wood, making a few small changes will let us make the armor sturdier without it being cumbersome.” Welf nodded to Bell with a grin. “I’ll make the chokuto to your measurements as well, so it should feel more like an extension of your body too.”

Bell smiled brightly at having a custom-made weapon for the first time. He could use anything, but Sophie had mentioned that custom-made equipment was usually superior to random gear that was just bought off a shelf. “That sounds great, Mr. Welf!”

“Any other requests, Bell?” Welf asked after a moment. “Just say the word and I’ll make anything for you.”

“Hmmm…” Bell looked thoughtful as he contemplated what else he could ask for. “Maybe a good knife?” It wouldn’t hurt to have a backup weapon in the Dungeon just in case.

“Yeah, that’s fine, but…is that all you want?” Welf almost looked perplexed by Bell’s request for a good knife.

“A good sword and a good knife, plus my armor upgraded would make my entire kit better than before.” Bell said with a small shrug. “I don’t think I need anything more than that.”

“So, Bell…” Welf looked at Bell a bit differently now. “You really aren’t after a Magic Sword, are you?”

“No, why?” Bell questioned as he raised an eyebrow. He’d heard a little about Crozzo Magic Swords during his time in Orario, but he hadn’t expected Welf to forge him one just because he had the same family name. For all Bell knew, Welf could’ve been some distant relation that had never even met the (in)famous part of the family.

“I never thought someone would go for my work over a Magic Sword.” Welf closed his eyes and let out a sigh. A few seconds later and it was replaced with a soft, happy smile. “You really caught me off guard there. I’m sorry for testing you like that.”

“That was a test?” Bell blinked, the hidden meaning behind Welf’s offer of making him anything having flown right over his head.

“Ha!” Welf cracked up, slapping his knee and laughing loudly at Bell’s cluelessness of the situation. It took him several moments to calm down and refocus on the task ahead. “Sorry about that…woo…never thought I’d laugh so hard about actually having someone wanting my work and not a Crozzo Magic Sword.”

“No problem…?” Bell didn’t really know what else to say at this point. He already had Magic, two spells at that, so he didn’t see much purpose in spending millions of Valis to get a powerful Magic Weapon for himself.

Welf gathered the materials and prepared the forge for use, wanting to get to work right away. “To be honest, Bell, you’re the first real client that I’ve had.” Bell gave Welf his attention, curious as to where the Blacksmith was going with his words. “I’ve had plenty of people come to commission me to make them a Magic Sword…too many, if I’m honest.”

“Why don’t you…” Bell trailed off, feeling like this might be a sensitive topic for Welf.

“Got a question?” Welf easily noticed Bell trailing off. “Fire away. Ask me anything. I don’t want to keep anything from my first real client.”

Bell tried to think of how to ask his question tactfully, but couldn’t come up with anything. “Why don’t…you make Magic Swords?”

“…There are a few reasons.” Welf spoke up after a few seconds of silence. “Thing is, I hate Magic Swords.” He pumped the bellows a bit more, raising the temperature higher. “Magic Sword, Magic Sword, Magic Sword…you’re the only person that didn’t ask for one. Every single one of them wants that power, and it's messing with their heads.” Welf grimaced as the flames rose in his forge. “So, I turned them all away.”

“I see.” Bell said as he considered the situation from Welf’s point of view. ‘Everyone wants one specific thing from him, but no one wants Welf’s work, just what his family can make.’ For a Smith, that had to be stifling and hurtful. To put all of your time and passion into improving your craft, only for no one to want it, but desire something that other members of your family were known for.

“Do you know why the Crozzo Family can make Magic Swords in the first place?” Welf asked as the forge finally got to the temperature that he wanted it at.

“No…I don’t think I’ve ever heard the ‘why’, only the end result.” Bell replied as he watched Welf put the Light Metal into the forge to start heating it up.

“There was once an ordinary man with the name ‘Crozzo’. That man put his life on the line to save someone from a Monster. That someone happened to be one of the ‘Gods’ Favored Children’…a Spirit. The Spirit wanted to save the man that was bleeding out from his injuries. So, it gave him some of its own blood.” Welf told the tale of the origin of the first Crozzo. The same story that he’d learned from his father and grandfather as a small child.

“Then that means the Crozzo Family has…” Bell couldn’t even finish the sentence before Welf confirmed it.

“Yeah…we have Spirit blood running through us.” Welf watched the metal in the forge closely, making sure it turned the proper color before he pulled it out and began hammering it. “That ancestor made a full recovery after drinking the Spirit’s blood. A full-blown Miracle. But on top of that, the ancestor could use Magic as well as forge Magic Swords.” The Light Metal’s color began to change from the heat of the forge but wasn’t quite there yet. “Those abilities weren’t passed down to his children in the same way, but that all changed when his descendants received a Blessing many generations ago.”

“Oh?” Bell only took a half-second to figure it out. “A Skill?”

“Yeah. One that allows us to make Magic Swords.” Welf nodded, still watching the heating of the metal. “From there it’s what everyone knows. The Crozzo Family gained status by selling Magic Swords to Rakia. The Kingdom became damn near invincible because of their swords. The accolades kept coming…and the Crozzos got cocky. They kept making Magic Swords to satisfy their greed.” Welf saw the color of the Light Metal get to the right point and reached for his smithing tongs. “The Elves watched their forests burn to the ground. The Spirits that lost their homes directed their hatred at Magic Swords and the Crozzo Family. Until one war. Every Magic Sword on the battlefield suddenly shattered for no reason.” Bell nearly gasped at the sudden twist in the tale. “Rakia was completely dependent on them, and the Kingdom lost every battle after that. No one knows why, but the Crozzo Family lost their ability to forge Magic Swords. Their claim to status gone, they lost everything almost overnight. I’m sure Spirits cursed the family to get revenge.”

“But, wait? You said that you can make Magic Swords, right, Welf?” Bell was now puzzled about Welf’s apparent ability to do so when no other Crozzo could.

“Yeah, I can. No clue why though.” Welf shrugged as he took the hot metal out of his forge and set it on his anvil.

‘Maybe the Spirits’ curse ran out? They’re satisfied? Or maybe it’s just Welf?’ Bell pondered on why Welf’s ability had come about at all given what he now knew. ‘Maybe because Welf isn’t fueled by greed and refuses to sell Magic Swords?’ It wouldn’t be the first tale that Bell had heard where a person was spared a curse because their character was in direct opposition to the one’s that had been cursed for their actions.

“I know they were just trying to restore the family name, but I’m grateful to granddad and my old man for cramming these forging techniques into my head.” Welf admitted as he picked up his smithing hammer. “I didn’t hate it. Being a shop hand, working with granddad and my old man. The thing was…once they learned what I could do, they insisted that I forge Magic Swords.” He raised the hammer, preparing to make the first strike against the now malleable Light Metal. “They wanted me to make a tool to get the King’s attention, but they never talked about that part.” He brought the hammer down on the metal with force and precision, sparks lightly flew off the material. “But it’s wrong. That’s not what weapons are for, not even close.” Welf didn’t yell, but the sheer intensity of his words made his voice rumble like a volcano. “They aren’t political tools or a way to raise morale.” He struck the Light Metal again and again in a steady rhythm, slowly molding it into the shape he desired. “A weapon is part of its wielder. No matter what desperate situation someone is in, they must always be able to count on their weapon.” The sound of hammer striking metal rang throughout the smithy. “Weapon and wielder become one the moment someone takes hold of the hilt.”

Bell was sweating both from the intense heat as well as Welf’s intensity as he spoke and worked.

“And the Smith’s job is to make a weapon capable of that.” Welf continued to pound the metal into shape with the hammer, occasionally flipping it to the other side to strike it and ensure uniformity. “We push metal to its limit with the hottest flames. A weapon can only be made when we bring everything to bear.” Welf almost appeared to be emitting flames himself as he poured himself into the act of creation. “What’ll happen if we half-ass it? Fail to pour blood and sweat into it? Forget what it means to be a Smith?”

Bell’s fists clenched without him even noticing it. His heart moved by Welf’s passion and beliefs of what it meant to be a Blacksmith. The sheer fact that the redhead wasn’t yelling, but his words carried the same force, was incredible.

“I hate Magic Swords. They always break, leaving their wielder behind.” Welf struck the Light Metal again, not too hard and not too light. “I loathe Magic Swords. That power rots people from the inside. The wielder’s pride…the Smith’s dignity…everyone and everything…” He raised the hammer again and his voice finally raised enough to be called a yell. “I refuse to make Magic Swords! Even if I did, I would never sell one!” He brought the hammer down again and the sounds of forging continued to fill the air, even as Welf’s words faded away.

Bell watched as the Light Metal slowly began to take shape. Seeing as Welf was solely focused on his work, Bell stood up and politely excused himself from the smithy. He didn’t want to impede Welf’s work in any way, after all.

“I’ll be done in about six days, Bell.” Welf smiled at his first real client. “Come back then, alright?”

“Sure thing, Mr. Welf.” Bell nodded and gave a short bow before he left.

-Floating Bridge Mansion ~ Night-

“What’re you thinking about, Bell?” Lili asked as the two laid together in his futon. Their bare skin pressed up against each other, the two only separated by Bell’s boxers and Lili’s panties.

Bell squeezed her against him gently before speaking. “I love you, Lili. But I also have feelings for other women, and I don’t know what to do for sure.” He didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but he didn’t want to lead any of them on if they didn’t want this type of relationship either.

“It’s Miss Wallenstein and the Hyrute Sisters, isn’t it?” Lili proved that she was always attentive as she immediately named the three that she was sure also had feelings for Bell.

“Yeah.” Bell admitted, turning his head to kiss Lili on the forehead. “They all have feelings for me too, but I wanted to know how you felt about that.”

Lili smiled, humming a little as she left a kiss on Bell’s shoulder. “Lili loves how devoted you are to her, Bell.” She looked at him and caught his eyes. “You don’t have to reject their feelings though. Lili would love to have some ‘sisters’ too.” Being alone and unwanted for most of her life had made a desire for companionship and family burn within Lili’s heart. “We’d need to really talk about how we’d all want the relationship to work out though.” She ran her hand over his chest and down his abs. “There’s also the trouble of inter-Familia dating and what that’ll bring, especially considering that Ais Wallenstein and the Hyrute Sisters are top members of Loki Familia.”

“Hah…” Bell exhaled, knowing that Lili was right. “There’s two more women as well.” He looked apologetically at Lili.

“Master Bell’s heart might be too big for his own good.” Lili grinned at him with a playful roll of her eyes. “Does Lili know these other women?”

“There’s Miss Airmid from the Dian Cecht Familia and Miss Ryu from the Hostess of Fertility.” Bell started to explain how he’d met both Ryu and Airmid and how his feelings had begun. Lili listened intently and quietly, just letting Bell explain himself and his feelings until he was finished.

Lili rested her head on Bell’s chest as she processed everything that she’d been told. “I see…” She looked up at Bell, resting her chin on his pectorals. “Master Bell really is too big-hearted.” Lili teased him with a soft giggle. “I’m not sure even your endurance can keep up with so many women.”

“Lili…” Bell looked at her flatly, though the small grin on his lips ruined it.

“Invite them over tomorrow, if they’re available, so that we can all talk about this.” Lili requested simply as she gazed into Bell’s rubellite eyes. “Once we all know how we feel about this and what we want to do going forward, then we can make decisions.”

Bell hugged Lili warmly and looked at her lovingly. “You’re too good for me, Lili.”

Lili shook her head. “Lili loves you, Bell.” She scooted up and gently kissed him. “Lili knows how big your heart is, how much you care about others. How could I tell you that your feelings are wrong? You’ve given Lili nothing but care, affection, and love almost since we met.” She kissed his lips again. “Lili’s feelings will never change, Bell, you’re Lili’s everything.”

“I love you.” Bell kissed her this time, holding her close.

“Mmm~” Lili hummed pleasurably as she sank into the kiss.

They snuggled together for a long moment, just enjoying their closeness and warmth.

“Lili…” Bell barely held back a groan.

Lili grinned naughtily as she pulled Bell’s cock out of his boxers and stroked him. “Yes, Master Bell?” She asked hotly.

Bell’s hands quickly found Lili’s ass and began to play with her cheeks. The two moaned softly together before Lili pushed the blanket off them and straddled Bell’s waist. Bell ran his hands up her sides with a grin, enjoying her soft skin, before he took hold of her hips.

“What would you like tonight, Bell?” Lili questioned, as she began to grind her panty-clad mound against his hard length. “Maybe a haughty little Elf? Or maybe you want to take a Chienthrope doggy-style?” She bit her lip temptingly.

“So naughty, Lili.” Bell rumbled out with smoldering eyes.

Lili licked her lips and moved her hips against Bell more. “Lili’s Magic is very good for roleplay~”

“Chienthrope.” Bell decided after a moment, making Lili smile naughtily. For just a brief instant the image of Lulune passed through Bell’s mind before he refocused on Lili.

“Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.” Lili whispered and her form changed as dog ears appeared atop her head and a fluffy tail wagged behind her. Lili was now a Chienthrope thanks to her Transformation Magic.

Bell hooked his thumbs into the band of Lili’s panties and quickly pulled them down and off of her legs with Lili’s eager assistance. He lifted his hips as Lili nearly yanked his boxers off of him. Bell swiftly sat up and shifted to his knees as Lili giggled and got on all fours in front of him, swaying her nice ass side-to-side to tempt Bell, her new tail raised high in the air to let him see how wet and ready she was for him.

“Lili…” Bell breathed out as he took hold of her hips and pressed himself into her soaked heat.

“Mmm, Bell~” Lili moaned as she was filled with his cock. “Fuck me…” She looked over her shoulder at him, her brown eyes molten pools of desire and love.

Bell happily gave Lili what she wanted as his hips impacted her ass with a loud clap. It was the start of their lovemaking, which would continue on for hours into the night.

-Next Afternoon ~ Floating Bridge Mansion-

Bell was grateful that Airmid, Ryu, Tiona, Ais, and Tione could all come today. Ryu had been given a half day off from mama Mia when Bell had invited her to the Floating Bridge Mansion to talk. Airmid had simply taken the rest of the day off (barring an emergency) and agreed to be there shortly when Bell had asked her. Tiona, Tione, and Ais hadn’t had anything planned for the day, aside from Ais wanting to go into the Dungeon again, so they’d agreed to come over instead easily enough.

Now all six of the women that Bell had feelings for were sitting together in a semi-large room covered in Tatami mats and with a long, low table between them filled with snacks and tea provided by the retainers of the Sarutahiko Familia.

“So, what’s this meeting about, Bell?” Tiona asked with a smile, having no problems breaking the ice.

All eyes were on Bell and he took a second to fortify himself with a deep breath. “I invited all of you here today to talk about…us.”

Ryu’s eyes widened a little, looking at the other women in the room and then back to Bell.

Likewise, Airmid’s purple eyes went a little wide as she looked between Bell and the others in the room.

“We were already prepared for this.” Tione shot Bell a little smirk. “Tiona, Ais, and I have already decided to make you our man.”

“Yep!” Tiona smiled brightly at Bell. “Group relationships aren’t all that uncommon in Orario after all.”

Ais was looking down at the table and glancing up at Bell as she fidgeted a little on her cushion, her cheeks a bright pink. Her golden eyes met Bell’s ruby eyes and the two looked at each other for a long moment. “I…want to try, Bell.” She admitted with a cute smile.

“Thank you for giving us a chance.” Bell bowed to the three women form the Loki Familia, his voice a bit thick with emotion. He had honestly not been sure this would work out at all and would result in a lot of hurt feelings.

“What about you, Airmid?” Tione looked at the Healer curiously. Her friend probably wasn’t expecting this kind of talk today.

Airmid took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. “I will admit, this wasn’t the kind of talk that I was expecting today.” She looked down at her hands and then at Bell. “You have feelings for all of the women here, Bell?”

“I do, Airmid… I’ve been unsure of what to do this whole time as my feelings have grown, so I asked Lili for her advice and she suggested that everyone meet and talk things out. The last thing that I want is to lead any of you on if this type of relationship isn’t something that you can bring yourself to be part of.”

“If we can talk through our feelings about this, then we can come to an understanding.” Lili said softly, knowing that this was still a sensitive subject, even if group relationships weren’t uncommon in Orario.

Ryu spoke up, looking directly at Bell. “Bell… I’m not sure…” She admitted her hesitance to joining a relationship like this one. “It’s very different from Elven customs that I grew up with.” She’d left her home forest to break away from the stale and stagnant traditions, and had taken a good amount of time to break down the walls of her Elven pride and let people in even after coming to Orario. ‘But this… A relationship where one man loves many women and is loved by many women in return. Can such a thing truly be called love?’ Ryu was still a maiden and held onto some traditional Elven views.

“That’s understandable, Miss Ryu.” Bell smiled at her warmly, not changing how he interacted with her in the slightest. It got him a gentle smile from Ryu in return. “Honestly, I had thoughts about this type of thing growing up…what teenage boy doesn’t...” He mumbled the last part and made sure not to blame his grandpa, despite the old man being the reason he even learned words like harem, polycule, and the like. “But I know the reality of the situation. A relationship like this can’t be rushed. It requires honest communication, time, and genuine feelings. I admit that I’m not sure how good of a boyfriend I’d be for all of you. But I want to make all of you the happiest you can be.”

Airmid’s cheeks were a rosy red as she listened to Bell’s words. “I think you being honest about your fears and feelings with us is already a step in the right direction, Bell.”

“Master Bell has a big heart.” Lili said with a beautiful smile. “Maybe too big for his own good.” She nudged him playfully, her smile only growing when he hugged her into his side and kissed the top of her head. “But he understands that this is a big step to take and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. We all have different ideas about relationships and how they should progress. That’s why we’re here to talk.”

“Well said.” Ryu agreed with Lili’s words. They were all different in what they believed a relationship should entail and how it should be. “I can admit that I’m wary of such a relationship because I’m not sure if it could be considered true love.” The pink on Ryu’s cheeks was quickly darkening into red.

Tiona nodded at Ryu’s words, understanding where the Elf woman was coming from, at least a little. “I get it. For Amazons like Tione and me, a relationship can quickly become physically intimate. That’s just how we Amazons are. We move quickly when we find a man that we know is worthy of our love. For others, it’s not so simple, and takes more time.”

“For once you’re making sense.” Tione smirked at Tiona and accepted the playful swat on the arm that she got in return. “If we do make this relationship between all of us, that doesn’t mean we all have to be on the same schedule, for lack of a better word. We can all take our time with Bell at our own pace. If you’re not ready for sex, then tell him that. If you are ready for it, then just be honest and talk to Bell about it. If Tiona or I sleep with Bell, it’s not because we don’t respect your feelings or the pace that you’re taking, it’s just that we’re ready for that step.”

Ryu’s eyes widened a little as she listened to Tione speak. The Amazon’s words made sense in the frame of a relationship like this one. Open and honest communication about how they felt and respecting each other’s personal pace with Bell was not only appropriate, it was the only way that such a relationship could work. “It sounds so easy when you say it like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Tiona tilted her head to the side a little. “As long as we talk to each other and make our feelings known, we can build our relationship together over time. We could come to love each other like we love Bell even.” She giggled and hugged Ais, making the blonde blush adorably even as she returned the hug.

Airmid let out a soft sigh, some tension in her shoulders releasing as she looked over at Bell. “I can’t disagree with Tiona’s words. Bell has proven himself to be kind, respectful, and sweet since I’ve known him. I have no doubt that he’d always respect our boundaries and listen to our feelings. I can’t imagine him ever trying to force our relationship to progress before we were ready.”

“Never.” Bell stated with absolute finality, the weight behind his words almost seemed to make the air heavy for a second.

The women all smiled at him for his resolute and upstanding character.

“I’m willing to try this relationship with all of you.” Airmid smiled warmly at Bell.

Bell returned her smile with his own, full of his affection and love for Airmid. “Thank you for giving us a chance, Airmid. I want to make you the happiest you’ve ever been.”

Airmid’s smile was beautiful even as she fidgeted a little while her heart thumped in her chest. “I’ll hold you to that…Bell.” She covered her cheeks with her hands and looked away, only to see Tione and Tiona smiling at her warmly.

Ryu took a bit longer, clearly thinking over what she’d heard and trying to settle her thoughts and feelings. In her mind she would almost swear she could hear her late Familia members encouraging her, the two loudest being Alise and Lyra, of course, but a small smile formed on Ryu’s lips without her even noticing. “I’d still like…a proper courtship…for our relationship, B-Bell.” She dropped the formality and blushed bright red as she called Bell by his name.

“Whatever you desire, I’ll do everything in my power to provide, Ryu.” Bell promised her, a gentle smile gracing the flustered Elf woman. “I promise all of you that I will always love you and do everything to make you happy.”

“Bell…” The six women all nearly swooned at his promise to them.

Bell swore his heart was overflowing with love for these wonderful women that had agreed to give this relationship a chance. He wasn’t expecting the next question though.

“Are there any other women that couldn’t make it today?” Tione asked curiously, looking at Bell.

“No,” Bell shook his head. “Miss Lulune is the only other woman that’s been flirtatious with me, but I’m not sure if she’s like that with everyone or not.”

Ais perked up, remembering the Chienthrope woman she’d met back on the Eighteenth Floor.

“If there’re any more in the future, we should make sure to talk with them like this so they understand our relationship.” Lili said as she looked at the gathered women. “We should all be in agreement about how our relationship progresses in the future.”

“I agree.” Ryu nodded to the Prum. It only made sense that they were honest with each other about any potential new women in the relationship.

“Yes,” Airmid agreed with a small smile. “But we may want to limit how many we’re willing to share Bell with, otherwise he won’t be able to keep his promise to us, no matter how hard he tries.”

Bell sighed a little, feeling like Airmid was teasing him a little. “It’s not like I’m going to try to get more women. I want a big family, but that’s based on love, not how many children I can have.”

All of the women blushed slightly at the thought of children.

“I’m sorry, Bell.” Airmid apologized. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like you would try and collect women.”

“I know you didn’t, Airmid.” Bell forgave her easily with a gentle smile.

“A limit isn’t a bad idea though; otherwise some other women might just not want to take ‘no’ for an answer.” Tione mentioned, still vividly remembering that bitch Phryne that had come after Bell the other day.

“True…” Tiona nodded with a little grimace on her lips.

Lili looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, if we consider that this Lulune woman might have feelings for Bell, then that would make seven women.”

Ais tilted her head slightly. “That’s…a lot, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Ryu nodded to Ais. “Considering our individual professions it’s unlikely that we can all be with Bell every day, especially once he enters the Middle Floors and lower.”

“When we go on expeditions, we’re usually gone for two or three weeks too.” Tione commented with a little sigh.

“I’d propose that no more than two more women join our relationship.” Airmid spoke up after a moment to consider what had already been said. “Eight is more than enough and a f-family unit could easily be built from that.” She only fidgeted a little with her fingers at saying family unit in regards to their relationship.

“Lili agrees. Eight should be a limit. What do you think, Bell?” She looked at her lover with a soft gaze.

Bell looked at all six of them with warm eyes. “I’m already blessed with you all. I have no reason to look for more love. If eight is the limit that you all are comfortable with, then that’s what it’ll be.” He smiled lovingly at the girls.

“This worked out quite well.” Ryu had a small smile on her lips. Perhaps because Bell normally wore his heart on his sleeve, but open and honest talks with him were easy and one could see Bell’s honesty in his rubellite eyes.

“We just have to talk to each other.” Tiona giggled brightly.

“It’s as simple as that.” Tione agreed with a beautiful smile as she pulled her sister into a one-armed hug.

Bell looked at Ais, Ryu, and Airmid, getting their attention. “I’ll do my best to make sure that we have time to go on proper dates and progress our relationship to your satisfaction.” He then looked at Lili, Tione, and Tiona. “That goes for you as well. I want to make you happy and show you how much I love you all.”

“Thank you, Bell.” Ais’s gorgeous smile nearly lit up the room.

“Okay.” Tiona giggled as she nearly bounced on her cushion, her eyes practically sparkling as she imagined what kinds of dates that she could go on with Bell.

Tione looked into Bell’s eyes with a softness that most would never see from her. “I can’t wait, Bell.” Just thinking about going out with Bell around Orario, or into the Dungeon, or just enjoying each other’s company as they walked hand-in-hand through the streets made her heart flutter in her chest.

“Some of us already know each other,” Airmid looked at Tione, Ais, and Tiona. “But we’re practically strangers to each other.” She looked at Lili and Ryu. “Perhaps we could spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other better?”

“I’d like that.” Ryu admitted with a soft smile.

“Lili wants to know all about her future ‘sisters’.” Lili grinned at the other women.

The smiles that she got in return only further convinced her that this had been the right course to take for this relationship.

The conversation would go on for so long that Tiona, Ryu, Ais, Tione, and Airmid ended up staying for dinner with the Sarutahiko Familia that evening. Bell, being a gentleman, had walked Ryu and Airmid home since it was dark out. Tione, Tiona, and Ais reasoning that they were unlikely to be accosted on the way back to their Familia Home. Ryu had tried to politely decline, but Bell had gently taken her hand in his and Ryu had lost the will to argue, gently squeezing his hand instead. Airmid had happily taken Bell’s other hand when he’d offered it and enjoyed the walk back to the Dian Cecht Familia Home.

When Bell had kissed Airmid’s cheek as they stood in front of the Dian Cecht home, her face turned a brilliant red, but she returned the kiss on the cheek before entering her home. Everyone in the Familia was surprised to see Airmid practically glowing as she traipsed through the halls towards her room.

Ryu wasn’t much better when they arrived at the Hostess of Fertility. She’d led him to the back entrance since there were still customers in the tavern. But when his lips had gently brushed her cheek, Ryu’s face quickly turned an impressive shade of red. She could barely look Bell in the eye even as she fidgeted in place. Ryu eventually worked up the nerve to return the small kiss on the cheek to Bell before nearly throwing herself inside and closing the door behind her. With her hand over her heart, which was beating wildly, Ryu quickly dashed up the stairs to her room with her hands covering her cheeks.

“Someone had a good evening.” Syr giggled to herself, having seen Ryu’s flustered face as she ran up the stairs to the second floor. ‘Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match~!’ She sang in her head as she got back to work, her silvery eyes almost glowing at getting to indulge in one of her heartfelt interests.

-Floating Bridge Mansion ~Next Morning-

“Hah!” Lili threw three senbon (non-poisoned, of course) at Bell while moving in behind them with a wooden dagger in her hand.

Bell put his new Martial Mastery Developmental Ability to the test as he tracked the flying senbon through the air and then caught the three of them easily. He tossed them back at Lili, but she ducked under them and lashed out with her wooden dagger at his stomach. Bell backstepped and caught Lili’s wrist, stopping the training dagger cold. Lili dropped the dagger from her captured hand and caught it with her opposite hand, slashing it at Bell’s arm that was holding onto her. Bell caught Lili’s other arm this time and could only smile when she used his hold on her arms as assistance to jump up and kick out with both of her legs straight into his chest.

“Nice one, Lili!” Bell praised her as he tossed her away, the double kick not having done much of any damage to him, but had been surprising enough that his reaction had been to throw her to the side.

Lili grinned as she’d managed to land on her feet. “There’s more where that came from, Bell!” She was coming back at him a second later, this time with her wooden dagger in one hand and a senbon in the other.

While Bell was waiting for Welf to finish with his armor and new weapons, he and Lili would train at home to help Lili develop her stats and combat skills. With Bell’s Shihyō Skill helping, Lili’s growth should certainly be boosted as she worked hard to improve herself.

-Twilight Manor ~ Evening-

“Ais-tan~” Loki gushed, seeing Ais dressed in a white top that left her shoulders bare, it had a golden line just over her breasts and similar golden stitching along the bottom hem, it was decorated just above the hem with golden flowers, each with five petals that went around the bottom of the shirt. To go with the top she wore a purple skirt that stopped at just past mid-thigh length and had white lace along the bottom. She had on thigh-high white stockings and on her feet were low-heeled black shoes to complete the outfit. “Where’re you going all dolled up like that~?” Loki asked while swaying her hips side to side as she admired her ‘favorite’ girl.

“On a date.” Ais answered simply, looked at Loki warily with how her Goddess was eyeing her up.

“Eh…?” Loki looked like she hadn’t heard Ais right. She cleaned out both of her ears quickly. “I think I misheard. Where are you going?”

“On a date.” Ais repeated.

“EEEEEHHHHH?!!” Loki exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of everyone around. “W-Wh-What do you mean ‘a date’, Ais-tan?!”

Riveria, who had come to see what Loki was being so loud about stopped dead in her tracks, her jade green eyes wide in shock.

Behind Riveria, several more Familia members all stared in various states of shock and disbelief.

“Have fun, Ais!” Tiona beamed at her ‘sister’ while walking with her to the front door.

“Just enjoy yourself.” Tione smiled softly at Ais, walking on her other side from Tiona.

Ais smiled at Tione and Tiona. “I will.” She headed out the front door and closed it behind her. She crossed the courtyard and left through the front gate. She walked until she got to the end of the street and the smiled beautifully as she spotted Bell waiting for her. “Bell.”

“Ais, good evening.” Bell returned her smile and held out his hand to her. When Ais took his hand, Bell gently squeezed it before the two began to walk down the street together, planning to have dinner and enjoy the sights of the city lit up at night.

Back in the Twilight Manor, it was much more chaotic.

“WHO DARES DATE MY ADORABLE AIS-TAN?!” Loki demanded loudly trying to get past Tione and Tiona and reach the front door. “I’LL RIP THEM TO PIECES!!!” Tiona easily held back the violent Goddess with one arm.

“I feel that I must ask…” Riveria looked at Tione. “Who is Ais going out with tonight.” That still seemed surreal to ask. Riveria had practically been a surrogate mother for Ais given how young the girl had been when she joined the Loki Familia. Ais had never shown romantic interest in anyone before, and now she was going on a date?

“Bell.” Tione answered easily, knowing that EVERYONE in Orario knew that name now.

“Huh…?” Loki turned to look at Tione, the entire entryway had gone silent at the answer. “Sarutahiko’s boy?”

“Yep!” Tiona grinned at Loki.

Gareth burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! Well she is at that age!”

Finn also smiled slightly. “It should be good for her to open up and expand her horizons a bit. I think this could be very good for Ais.”

“I suppose…” Riveria admitted placing her hand on her forehead and letting out a small sigh. “It is certainly better than Ais running off into the Dungeon from sun up to sundown every day. But I would very much like to meet Bell Cranel soon.” No one said it out loud, but several people had the same thought upon hearing this.

‘Mama Bear.’

Tione shrugged. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities. Bell will be taking me, Tiona, and Ais on dates from now on.”

“WHAT?!” Most of the Familia cried out in shock.

Loki redoubled her efforts to try and get past Tiona. “NO WAY!!! HE CAN’T HAVE AIS-TAN AND YOU TWO!!! I’LL BEAT THAT PLAYBOY WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS!!!”

“Hehehe!” Tiona only laughed as she held Loki back, her other hand on her cheek as she imagined her and Bell’s first date alone.

“Young man has got some guts.” Gareth chuckled under his breath.

Finn let out a little sigh. “As long as this doesn’t cause problems for the Familia.”

Truth be told, inter-Familia relationships were difficult to navigate. But with high-level members involved, compromises had to be reached, otherwise one Familia stood to lose a powerful member. In the Loki Familia, where everyone was fairly close, it would be like losing a family member if one of the three girls left to be with Bell. And if either Tione or Tiona left, the other sister would assuredly go with them.

-Ais and Bell-

Bell grinned as he watched Ais eat her Azuki Cream Jagamarukun. They’d passed by a stall on their walk through the city after their dinner. Ais had nearly dragged Bell over to the stand, which had put a smile on his face. He’d paid for Ais’s favorite and they’d headed over to a bench to look out over the city. The lights in various colors illuminated the buildings and streets in ways that the sun couldn’t, making for a nice view at night.

“Thank you, Bell.” Ais smiled after she finished her Jagamarukun.

“You’re welcome, Ais.” Bell looked at her with love and affection that made Ais’s heart flutter.

Ais found herself leaning against Bell without thinking about it. Bell’s hand moved and gently wrapped around her shoulders. Ais, used to Loki’s wandering hands, had almost tensed up in preparation to swat the offending hand away. But Bell didn’t make any further moves. His arm just rested softly around her shoulders and held her gently against Bell’s side, making her feel warm. Her head was laying on his shoulder before she knew it as they watched the city lights together.

No words were spoken, the two just sitting and enjoying being together.

The contentment lasted a long time, but also not long enough as it started getting late and the two stood up from the bench. Bell wanted to have Ais back at a reasonable hour, knowing that she had things to do with her Familia tomorrow and he was going to get up and train with Lili again.

As the couple walked back towards the Twilight Manor, Bell spotted a stall that was about to close up for the night. He stopped walking and Ais looked at him curiously.

“I’ll be right back, Ais.” Bell promised as he jogged over to the stand and talked to the owner. Ais tilted her head, looking at the stall and seeing that it sold flowers. A minute later and Bell returned. “These are for you, Ais.” He offered her a small bouquet of Camellia flowers.

The red flowers were fresh and gorgeous and Ais gently took them from Bell as pink took over her cheeks. Her left hand was back in Bell’s right hand a moment later as they resumed their walk. Ais admired the vibrant flowers and noticed they didn’t seem to have a scent. All of the flowers’ energy and time went into producing these beautiful, red blossoms to be admired. Ais had butterflies in her stomach from the gesture and her heart was soaring.

All too soon, especially in Ais’s opinion, the Twilight Manor came into view. Bell and Ais stood outside the front gate, just looking into each other’s eyes.

“I had fun tonight, Ais.” Bell smiled at her.

“Me too.” Ais’s lovely smile was beginning to shine through again. “Thank you for the flowers, Bell.” She looked at the vibrant red Camellias again, her heart thumping in her chest.

“You’re welcome, Ais.” Bell gently squeezed the hand he was holding and smiled lovingly when he got a squeeze back. He leaned forward and Ais’s eyes widened as Bell’s lips brushed her cheek softly. When he pulled back, Ais’s cheeks had gone from pink to red. “Was that too much, Ais?” Bell asked, worried he may have moved too fast.

Ais shook her head a little, but it took her a second to speak. “N-No… I liked it.” She admitted softly before stepping closer and pressing herself against Bell.

Bell wrapped his arms around Ais, hugging her once he realized what she wanted. He poured his love for her into the embrace as Ais rested her head on his shoulders, and Bell’s left hand gently combed through her long blonde hair. “Love you.” Bell whispered softly.

Ais felt like her heart was going to soar right out of her chest as she pulled back and graced Bell with her absolutely gorgeous smile again. “Love you…too.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek like he’d done on hers before leaving his embrace. It took a long moment before they broke eye contact and Ais eventually entered the gate, closing it behind her. Bell started walking back towards the Floating Bridge Mansion, his steps light, as if he was walking on air.

Ais entered the Twilight Manor with a beautiful smile on her face and the bouquet of Camellias in her hands. Nothing could ruin her mood right now as she walked up the stairs, heading for her room.

Unnoticed by the happy Ais, Tione and Tiona (with help from Finn and Gareth) had restrained and gagged Loki so that she couldn’t try and interrogate Ais as soon as she came back home. The four Adventurers did notice Ais’s good mood and smile, as well as the bouquet in her hands.

“Lad did good.” Gareth chuckled quietly as Ais disappeared up the stairs.

“Bell’s a sweetheart.” Tiona beamed, happy that Ais’s date had gone so well.

Tione could only smile warmly after seeing Ais’s obvious joy. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen her so happy before.”

Loki, much as she didn’t want to admit it, could easily tell that Ais was happier than she’d ever been before. ‘I wanted to make Ais-tan that happy!’ Loki nearly wailed in her mind. ‘At least Sarutahiko’s boy made her smile. If she’d come home crying then I’d have destroyed their Familia!’ As much as Loki was an agent of chaos and discord, as was her nature as a Divine Trickster, she couldn’t help but to be thrilled to see such happiness from Ais for the very first time.

-Ais’s Room-

Knock Knock Knock

Three gentle knocks on the door got Ais’s attention. When she opened the door, it was to see Riveria on the other side. The High Elf was holding a small vase in her hands for some reason.

“May I come in, Ais?” Riveria asked, smiling as she saw the warmth in Ais’s expression. The young woman was surrounded by a happy aura as she let Riveria inside. “I brought a vase of water for your flowers.” She set the vase on top of Ais’s dresser. Bell Cranel at least knew how to treat a girl properly it would seem.

“Thank you.” Ais smiled softly as she placed the Camellias into the vase and admired how the moonlight through the widow illuminated them.

Riveria gently sat on Ais’s bed. “Would you tell me about this young man that’s captured your heart, Ais?”

Ais blushed a little but sat next to Riveria with warmth in her eyes. “Alright…”

“Thank you, Ais.” Riveria smiled as Ais began to tell Riveria about Bell. She was surprised that this wasn’t technically their first date, but it was their first romantic date alone. But the more she learned about Bell, the more the hidden tension in her shoulders relaxed and the warmer her smile got. ‘I’ll reserve full judgement until I’ve met and spoken with him myself. But I’m glad that my fears of him being a womanizer have been proven wrong.’ As a High Elf she wasn’t unaware of multi-partner relationships, but her sensibilities pulled her away from such things. If Bell Cranel made Ais this happy, as well as Tiona and Tione too, then she supposed that was a good thing as the three could always look out for each other.

-Floating Bridge Mansion-

“I’m home.” Bell announced as he knocked on the shoji door to Sarutahiko’s room.

“Come in, Bell.” Sarutahiko called out a moment later.

Bell slid the door open and saw that Lili had just finished getting her Status Update for the day.

Lili looked over the paper that Sarutahiko had given her and smiled. “Lili grew quite a bit thanks to you, Master Bell!” She held the Status Update out to show him.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – H 101 > H 117

Endurance – H 104 > H 120

Dexterity – G 265 > G 286

Agility – E 403 > E 425

Magic – E 436 > E 451

-Magic-

Cinder Ella – Incantation: “Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.” Transformation Magic that enables the user to transform into anything around their size.

-Skills-

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this Skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Storage Scroll – Allows the user to store non-living objects in scrolls. The scroll’s script must be written with ink that is mixed with the user’s blood.

-Status-

“You grew so much because you worked hard today, Lili.” Bell praised her as he finished looking over the paper.

Lili beamed at him and stood up, kissing him quickly before moving to burn the Status Update with a nearby candle.

“I take it the date went well?” Sarutahiko chuckled as he motioned for Bell to take Lili’s spot in front of him.

“Ais was happy, and that made me happy.” Bell shrugged off his shirt and sat with his back facing Sarutahiko.

Sarutahiko let a drop of his blood fall on Bell’s back and the familiar blue-white glow filled the air as Bell’s Falna appeared on his back. Seeing the day’s training through Lili’s eyes and now through Bell’s eyes further drove home how hard the two of them were working while Bell waited for his new equipment to be completed. “Even without the Dungeon, the both of you do your absolute best every day.” Sarutahiko praised his ‘children’ like a proud grandfather. He moved the Excelia into Bell’s Basic Abilities and watched the numbers grow. A blank paper was put over Bell’s Falna once the update was finished and the new numbers were copied over. “Here you are, Bell.”

“Thank you, Lord Sarutahiko.” Bell accepted the paper and looked it over.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 2

Strength – I 0 > I 10

Endurance – I 0 > I 9

Dexterity – I 0 > I 12

Agility – I 0 > I 11

Magic – I 0 > I 14

-Magic-

Gogyō (Five Elements) – Incantation: “Earthly God’s mastery.” This Magic allows the user to use five different elemental Magics by using the appropriate word modifier: Sui for Water Magic, Do for Earth Magic, Fū for Wind Magic, Rai for Lightning Magic, and Ka for Fire Magic.

Kokushin (Black Needle) – Incantation: “Disrupt.” This Magic allows the user to create a black material in the shape of needles, batons, or rods at the cost of Mind.

-Skills-

Fugō (Sign) – Allows the user to change the form of a spell by making different signs with their hands.

Shihyō (Paragon/Teacher/Model/Leader) – Removes limits of growth. Rate of growth increases in proportion to the user’s efforts to improve. Growth of others increases when instructing them.

Kanchi (Sensing) – Allows the user to sense living things within a certain range of themselves and distinguish between Monster and Non-Monster. The range increases based on the Magic stat. Active Trigger.

-Developmental Ability-

Martial Mastery – I

-Status-

“Fifty-six points right off the bat.” Bell was happy to see the growth. “Once we go back into the Dungeon, let’s head for the Eleventh Floor, Lili.”

“Yes, Master Bell.” Lili giggled at him, happy that they had these next few days to relax and prepare. “Lili will train as hard as she can to make sure that she doesn’t slow you down, Bell.”

Bell stood up after burning his Status Update and swept Lili off her feet, much to the Prum’s delight. “Good night, Lord Sarutahiko.” He headed for the door.

“Good night, Bell.” Sarutahiko laughed at the love between Lili and Bell.

“Good night, Lord Sarutahiko!” Lili smiled over Bell’s shoulder.

Sarutahiko waved them both off with a shake of his head. ‘Good night, Liliruca.”

The shoji door was closed and Sarutahiko relaxed as he got out a little bottle of a very special wine that he’d acquired from Soma Familia’s assets. “If things continue on this path, I’ll be able to see you again soon, my darling Uzume-chan.” He poured himself a small cup of the Divine Wine and sipped it, feeling his senses fade a little as a pleasant sensation took over from the power of the godly brew.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Bell meets Welf!

The two quickly agree to work together! Perhaps that’ll lead to a contract once Welf presents Bell with his new gear? And maybe, just maybe, Welf will be able to join the Party too!

Bell and the women he has feelings for, and that have feelings for him, all sit down and really talk about this potential relationship. Communication is absolutely vital to this kind of relationship, and everyone needs to be honest and open with each other about their feelings and desires.

So far, everything is working out and even Ryu and Airmid are willing to try and make this work. Bell will have to spoil them with all of the love they can handle! Making them happy is the goal!

Bell and Lili train together every day while they wait for Welf to finish Bell’s new gear! The growth should be good for Lili as a Level 1, while Bell will have steady, if smaller, growth due to being Level 2.

Ais and Bell have their first romantic date alone! Aww~ It’s so adorable!

Inject that Warm and Fluffy straight into your veins!

What will happen upon Bell’s Party’s return to the Dungeon?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!