After the initial flash of light in the chamber, there was nothing but darkness for Bell.
Then just as fast as it had turned black, the boy opened his eyes with a gasp.
Bell shot up into an upright sitting position, eyes wide as he grasped his chest and struggled to breathe. His red orbs were full of fear and alarm as they dashed all over the room, looking for any sign of the statues aiming to kill him.
But he saw a bright room instead of a dark chamber, he saw a smooth wooden floor rather than cold stone, and in place of the altar he had been laying on was a soft bed he was now seated.
And yet, despite being evident that he wasn't in immediate danger, Bell still had the scent and image of his own blood fresh on his mind. So with his adrenaline still high, he looked down and scrambled to throw his sheets off, taking a frantic look at himself.
The boy was shocked to find himself with two arms despite clearly remembering one being dismembered. Had someone healed him while attaching his limbs back? Even with his novice knowledge of Orario, he knows that only strong potions or a powerful healer would have an ability like that.
Looking over himself and his two-piece blue medical gown, Bell shakily grabbed his left arm, finding no sign of any scars on it.
Catching his breath with cold sweat, Bell slowly calmed himself down, opening and closing his palm.
"Was... Was that all a dream? But then where am I?" He wondered, taking another anxious glance of the room.
He then heard a doorknob turn and sharply turned his head to the wooden door, fight or flight instincts kicking in.
However, they instantly vanished as he saw a beautiful girl enter the room.
She had on what he assumed was a type of medical uniform, judging by the nurse-like cap on her head. Her attire was blue, gold, and white, covering nearly her entire body yet looking snuggly tight. Only a part of her creamy thighs just below her skirt was revealed, while everything else lower was wrapped by thigh-high boots.
But what really drew Bell's eyes was the girl's long silver hair and glimmering purple eyes, her face almost like a doll with how beautiful yet neutral it was.
Though, he was proven wrong about the emotionless implication about her by the small smile she formed as she saw him.
"Oh, it's good to see that you're finally awake, mister Cranel." The girl said, walking up to his bedside.
Bell couldn't stop the reddening of his cheeks.
"U-Um..." Despite his near-death experience that should've left him more jumpy, he was left in a blubbering mess at the beauty in front of him. "H-Hello?"
"Hello to you too." The girl returned with a small bow. "My name is Airmid Teasanare. I'm the captain and head doctor of the Dian Cecht Familia."
"Dian... Cecht?" Bell repeated, the name being vaguely familiar.
"If you haven't heard of us, we're a medicinal type Familia focused on healing and making items," Airmid explained, expression returning to neutral.
"O-Oh." With his question answered but others surfacing, Bell managed to quell his initial captivation of the girl. "Um, does that mean I'm in the Dian Cecht home right now?"
He received a nod. "You're in the infirmary of our Familia's palatial mansion. You've been asleep for three days."
Bell went pale.
"THREE DAYS!?"
Airmid flinched at his volume and frowned when the young boy jumped from his bed.
"My goddess must be worried sick about me! I have to go-!"
"She already knows you're here." Airmid cut him off. "And you shouldn't move so abruptly until I give you a check-up now that you're awake. So please sit down, mister Cranel."
Bell tensed at her tone before his butt hit the bed.
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
Airmid let out a hum of amusement despite forming a neutral gaze. "Your goddess has actually remained with you for nearly your entire unconsciousness. You just missed her leave for the restroom."
Bell blinked before turning his head to a purple sofa beside his bed, noticing a blanket on it.
"Has she been sleeping there the entire time?"
Airmid nodded.
"She had actually wished to sleep in the bed with you. But of course, I couldn't allow that."
Bell's face flushed red, remembering the several times his goddess had forgone the bed of their church in favor of sleeping against him on the couch.
At his reaction, he received another smile from Airmid.
"You're goddess truly loves you, doesn't she?"
Bell sheepishly laughed. "W-Well, I am the only member of her Familia."
"Then be careful to ensure you don't end up here again."
"I'll... keep that in mind."
The infirmary door opened again as another person entered the room, only to freeze.
"Bell...?"
In her usual white mini-dress, twin tails, and sandals, goddess Hestia stood in the doorframe with her baggy eyes now on her only Familia member.
The boy gave her a small wave with a relieved smile.
"I'm back, goddess."
The short woman's wide-open eyes watered as her face wrinkled with emotion.
"BELL!"
"Wha-!?"
The level one was caught off guard as his goddess dove right at him, knocking him back on the bed as she landed right on top of his chest.
"Bell! Bell!" Hestia wept his name repeatedly as she rubbed her head against him, arms tightly wrapped around his torso and refusing to let go.
A surge of guilt swelled within the boy as he heard how absolutely crushed his goddess sounded, so he sat up while gently returning the hug.
"I'm here, goddess... I'm here." He whispered.
Airmid watched them, looking somewhat miffed that Hestia had tackled someone meant to be a patient but otherwise didn't interrupt their moment.
It took a few minutes of sobbing for Hestia to calm down, but even when she did, she refused to let go of Bell and still released small sniffles.
"Bell..." She whimpered, finally looking up at him with red eyes. "You weren't-! I-I felt-!"
She choked on another sob and buried her face in his chest again.
"I thought you left me..."
Bell started gently rubbing his goddess's back, smiling sadly.
"I'm sorry, goddess. I didn't mean to make you worry so much about me. But I'm all better now. The Dian Cecht family saved me."
"Actually, we didn't."
Bell's hand stopped, his head lifting at Airmid in confusion.
"Eh? But didn't you heal me?"
The healer shook her head.
"I wasn't even aware you had been healed in the first place. You were found in the dungeon completely unharmed, just unconscious."
Bell's eyes enlarged.
"B-But that's impossible! I remember-!"
Flashes of a severed arm and tearing shoulder came and went, the vivid memory of pain making Bell recoil with a gasp.
"Bell!?" Hestia looked up at him with panicked eyes, Airmid looking similarly concerned as she approached his side.
"I-I'm okay..." Bell stammered despite visibly shaking. "I-I just..."
"You're clearly not." Airmid cut him off with a frown. "You're shaken up."
"Bell..." Hestia trembled, pulling herself up to sit on the boy's lap, hands reaching up and gently holding his cheeks with watery eyes. "What happened to you?"
The pale boy gulped down a lump in his throat, not even comprehending how his goddess's large chest pressed against his. All he could think about was that sick grin from the Lord, how it had enjoyed every second of his suffering.
"I... I-"
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
The trio turned their heads back to the door, with Airmid walking over and opening it.
Who appeared behind the doorway was someone Bell could immediately tell was an adventurer. She was tall with peach skin, wearing an orange one-piece qipao garment with long-sleeve black fingerless gloves, steel armor from her wrists to her hands, and black tights leading down to steel boots. A spear was visible on the woman's back, but that was hardly anything compared to her azure hair and eyes, so beautifully calm and collected.
Bell was so entranced with her as he had been with Airmid that he almost missed the taller man entering with her, only registering his presence when he lifted his bare arms and announced it himself.
"I am Ganesha!"
"Huh!?"
The boy swerved his head and was left dumbfounded at the sight of a muscular man wearing a yellow and red elephant mask, most of his chest bare besides the orange sash over his right shoulder and around his waist.
"Hah!? Ganesha!?" Hestia shouted, eyes widening at seeing the boisterous god.
Bell blinked, the name clicking something in his head.
"Ganesha? You mean the god of the Ganesha Familia!? Orario's largest Familia in numbers!?"
"The one and only!" The god grinned proudly as he flexed his muscles. "Bell Cranel! It is wonderful to see that you are awake! And at such the perfect time! Why!? For I am Ganesha!"
There was a moment of silence where Bell stared incredulously at the god.
"Please don't mind him..." Ganesha's female companion sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in embarrassment. "We came here on business."
She lowered her hand and turned to Airmid.
"Dea Saint, if you would."
A nod. "Of course, miss Ankusha."
"Eh? Are those their aliases?" Bell wondered as Airmid turned to him.
"I will return to check up on you." She bowed.
"Huh? Oh..." He watched as the pretty nurse took her leave, closing the door behind her.
Once the sound of Airmid's footsteps faded away, Shakri went to the side and grabbed two chairs from a desk, placing them for herself and her god before addressing the elephant in the room.
"Bell Cranel, my name is Shakti Varma, level five and captain of the Ganesha Familia. As I'm sure you know, in addition to our reputation as monster tamers, our Familia is also in charge of Orario's overall security. So my god and I have come to ask questions about most the recent discovery of the dungeon."
Bell tensed, knowing exactly what she meant.
"You mean that room, right?" He near whispered in unease.
"Room?" Hestia looked at him in confusion.
"Indeed! A room in the dungeon, a discovery that shouldn't have been meant to be!" Ganesha bellowed.
Shakti sighed before elbowing her god, making him grunt.
"Lower your volume, lord Ganesha."
"...I am Ganesha," The man groaned in pain.
"But as I was saying, yes, that room. Goddess Hestia, I'm assuming you haven't been updated about it in the last few days?" Shakti continued.
Hestia shook her head, readjusting her hold on Bell.
"No, I had just finished my shift at the jagamarukun stand before..." She suddenly fell silent, and Bell felt her shiver.
Goddess?" The adventurer whispered, wondering what had happened.
He then saw Hestia snap out of whatever she remembered before shaking her head and continuing.
"B-Before someone from the guild came and told me that Bell was moved to the Dian Cecht mansion! All I was told was that he had been carried out of the dungeon, so I ran here and stayed with him the whole time!" There then was a pause, one where Hestia shrank.
"Ugh, the boss is gonna be mad..."
Ah, from what Bell remembered, the lady running the jagamarukun stand his goddess works really likes her because she attracted more customers due to her... appearance. But if he's been unconscious for three days and Hestia hadn't left his side at all, then...
Oof.
Taking a sign that the goddess finished, Shakti spoke up.
"Allow me to fill you in on what we know, goddess. Three days ago, the Loki Familia were returning from an expedition to the lower floors of the dungeon."
Loki Familia... Considered one of the two strongest Familias in Orario. While the Ganesha Familia had strength in numbers, the Loki Familia had strength in raw skill and power. Bell remembered the Loki Familia being one of the very first Familias he applied to, only to be turned away right at the door... rather harshly, at that.
And upon hearing Loki's name, Hestia scowled.
"Ugh, Loki..."
Bell looked down at her in surprise at the disdain he picked up.
"Um, do you happen to know Loki, goddess?"
He received a weak nod.
"She and I don't really get along," Hestia muttered. "We butt heads a lot back in Tenkai..."
"Even here you do so!" Ganesha laughed. "You two always provide quite the show at every denatus! The gods always place bets on your scrambles, and so do I, for I am Ganesha!"
Shakti's eyebrow twitched.
"If I may continue-" She cut in sharply, making Ganesha shut up. "-during the Loki Familia's return, a large Monster Party of minotaurs ambushed them on the seventeenth floor.
Bell gasped. A Monster Party; when a large group of monsters spawns within the dungeon at once, and it was a horde of minotaurs!?
The minotaur that had chased Bell flashed through his mind. Even if the monster paled in comparison to the statues, it had still been something that had almost killed him.
"Are they all alright!? None of them got hurt, did they!?" Bell spoke quickly, concern flashing in his eyes.
Shakti hummed in amusement, even forming a small smile, for she couldn't remember the last time someone had been genuinely worried for a Familia not their own.
"Of course. They're all high-level adventurers, minotaurs are hardly anything to them."
"O-Oh, right..." Bell once again reddened in embarrassment, realizing that of course the Loki Familia wouldn't go down to lower-level monsters, even a large group of them.
"The Loki Familia took care of the minotaurs just fine."
Suddenly, Shakti's smile dropped.
"But not before an incident occurred."
"That doesn't sound good."
"The minotaurs realized they were facing an enemy out of their league, and because of the Loki Familia's relaxed attitude towards them, they took a chance and fled to the upper floors of the dungeon."
Bell's eyes flashed in realization.
"Then... that minotaur I ran into on the fifth floor-?"
"YOU RAN INTO A MINOTAUR ON THE FIFTH FLOOR!?" Hestia all but screeched in his ear. "You're telling me Loki's children almost got you killed!?"
Bell cringed at her volume.
"Goddess, please..."
Hestia sheepishly recoiled.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry! It's just..." She trembled. "I almost lost you..."
Bell's heart swelled, once again reminded of how much his goddess cared for him and why he had fought so hard to return to her despite being in such a helpless situation in that hellish room.
And while on the subject...
"So if the Loki Familia had been following the minotaurs, then that means they must've found the chamber I was in," Bell hung his head with a sigh. "I guess if it's Orario's top adventurers, they must've taken care of all the statues just fine. Unlike me who couldn't even do anything..."
Shakti raised an eyebrow.
"Statues?"
Bell lifted his gaze back at Shakti, confused by her confusion.
"Er, yes? The statues in the chamber? I don't remember what happened after I blacked out, but the Loki Familia must've destroyed them, right? I can't think of many others that could've."
Shakti and Ganesha glanced at each other, conveying something between them before turning back to Bell.
"Mister Cranel, when the Loki Familia found you, you were in an empty cave atop an altar."
Utter shock filled Bell's eyes.
"Wh-What!? But that doesn't make sense!" He stammered. "There were smooth stone walls with blue torches! And there were dozens of statues that were all at least level two-no, even higher!"
Shakti's eyes widened before turning to her god for confirmation.
"He's telling the truth," Ganesha answered with a more serious tone.
"I see..." Shakti responded hesitantly before turning back to him. "Mister Cranel, can you tell us exactly what happened to you on that day? From how you entered that chamber to what occured within it?"
Bell gulped down his saliva.
"O-Of course." He wasn't looking forward to recalling that day but knew he had to.
So for the next hour, Bell told Shakti and her god the events of the fifth floor. How he had been exploring it until the minotaur had shown up and chased him down, how he had run into a dead end that the monster conveniently destroyed to reveal uncharted territory, and... then that he had found a pair of doors.
He moved to describe the giant chamber he had ended up in. How it was filled with statues, statues that moved with enough strength to effortlessly injure the level 2 minotaur that had followed him inside. How a statue larger and stronger than the others had vaporized the minotaur with one attack, leaving him alone with beings that could kill him anytime they wanted.
And what followed was the craziest part of his story. Fulfilling the commandments he had found, the giant statue following him around with the intent of crushing him, and how he activated the statues with instruments while avoiding others.
Hestia had burst into tears when Bell told them he had lost an arm during those events. It had taken him several minutes to calm his goddess down, and even then, she clutched him tighter than ever while he kept going.
Bell soon reached the end of his tale, describing when he had stood by a newly emerged altar and lasted through a time limit as the statues moved toward him, only to get pierced and thrown on top of the altar before everything went black.
By the end of his account, Shakti looked completely dumbfounded, while Ganesha had his hand on his chin in deep thought.
"That is... quite the story." The woman remarked, staring at him with a thousand-yard stare.
Bell grew nervous under it.
"I-It does feel like I'm forgetting something near the end, but everything is the truth! Really!"
"Do not worry, Bell Cranel, for I, Ganesha, can detect the honesty behind your words! And no doubt Hestia can as well!"
Oh, right. The gods have the ability to detect lies. Bell honestly tends to forget that sometimes.
"A room on the fifth floor of the dungeon filled with monsters akin to second-class adventurers, only for all of them to disappear and leave behind only a level one adventurer with an altar of all things... I must admit, this all sounds rather far-fetched." Shakti stated.
"But it happened."
Surprisingly, the one who declared that was Hestia, her face hidden on Bell's chest as she trembled in his arms.
"It... It must've happened..."
"Goddess?"
Bell felt his unease start to grow. Ever since he had woken up, his goddess had been rather unsteady and had yet to fully calm down even now. He thought she had wanted to keep holding him out of her usual affection for him, but... this felt different. She held him as if...
As if he'd disappear if she let him go.
"Goddess, do you know something?" Bell whispered close to her ear.
He felt her flinch.
"Not now." He barely picked up.
Concern growing but getting the message, he faced Shakti, who stared curiously at him, no doubt confused after everything she had just heard.
"Erm, so that's everything that happened to me. But what happened after I passed out, exactly?" Bell asked.
The level five shrugged.
"I'm afraid no one has an answer for that, mister Cranel. As I've said, the Loki Familia found you lying atop the altar before bringing you back to the surface. Even when their executives and, more recently, a team of the Ganesha Familia investigated the room, there was nothing of note, no statues or anything else you've described aside from the doors and minotaur skin left behind. Which reminds me-"
Shakti reached into a leather bag at her side and pulled out a decently sized item wrapped in cloth, then opened it to reveal the rolled-up minotaur skin just mentioned.
"Oh..." Bell mumbled, faintly remembering that the item had dropped from the monster after it had been disintegrated by the giant statue's beam.
Shakti stood up and extended the item out.
"For you."
"H-Huh?" Bell stammered. "But I didn't even-!"
"The Loki Familia didn't kill the minotaur. In fact, they were the cause of it traversing to the fifth floor in the first place. You are more than entitled to it after the experience you've been through. Their Familia wished for you to have it regardless."
"Think of it as proof of your of survival! You fought with all you had and managed to prevail! And as I am Ganesha, I acknowledge proudly that you are a true adventurer to overcome such adversary!" Ganesha boomed.
Shakti waited for Bell to accept the item, her eyes showing no room for argument. So with a nervous raise of his hands, he accepted the hard, rolled-up skin.
"This doesn't mean that everything is okay now! My Bell almost died because of Loki's children!" Hestia hissed.
Shakti's eyes turned sharp. "Of course, that isn't simply it. The guild has issued a fine to the Loki Familia for allowing the minotaurs to escape to the upper floors; they were lucky no one was killed by them despite having made it up so far."
"Hmph, good! See if I ever forgive Loki!" Hestia growled.
Bell stared at the minotaur skin in his hands, remembering the powerful roar of the monster.
And yet... remembering it didn't scare him as much as he thought it would.
After all, nothing would be as scary as the overwhelming presence of the Lord.
After a few more questions asking to clarify certain things about Bell's story, Shakti and Ganesha took their leave, to which Airmid returned and gave Bell the check-up she had mentioned.
Well, after the two had managed to pry Hestia off of him.
So after another half hour of checking Bell's overall health, the nurse deemed him perfectly healthy and fit to leave.
"Your belongings are in the bottom drawer of the dresser," Airmid said as she pointed at the mentioned dresser not too far from the bed. "After you get dressed, you may simply leave."
"Thank you very much, miss Airmid." Bell smiled.
"No need for that. It's simply my job." Airmid returned his smile with a small one of her own. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Have a nice day."
With that, the silver-haired girl turned around and made her way out of the room.
"Bell...?"
"Hm?" The boy looked down, finding Hestia staring up at him with an uneasy gaze, hands gripping his shirt.
"You're okay, right? You're not still hurt, are you?" She asked quietly.
Bell smiled and gave her an affection head pat.
"I'm fine, goddess. Miss Airmid has even checked me herself. Now can you tell me what's been bothering you so much?"
At his question, Hestia turned her gaze down so that her forehead pressed against Bell again, but the hands clutching his shirt visibly gripped even harder.
"Bell... you know how our blessings work, right?"
"Huh?" His face scrunched in perplexity, as he hadn't expected that question. "You mean the falnas?"
Hestia softly nodded.
Not questioning the sudden subject, Bell continued stroking her head as he spoke.
"A Falna is a god's grace, given to mortals to fight monsters, and the ones given this power become part of a god's Familia. Those with Falnas gain the strength and ability to fight monsters they normally wouldn't have before, and they get stronger by collecting excelia, which allows Familia members to raise their statuses, which is their overall power."
"But do you know how about the god's connections to the falnas they grant?"
Bell paused his hand.
"Connections? You mean like how they update statuses?"
Face still obscured, Hestia shook her head.
"Bell, whenever a god grants a falna to a person, they offer the smallest part of their divinity with it. It's that divinity that forms into the falna and what allows excelia to be stored. So it can be said that a falna is a god granting a part of themselves to their children, and because of that, it also grants us a special connection to each of them. It isn't much, but..."
She took a deep breath.
"We can feel if our children are alive. A-And when the connection gets cut..."
She drowned into silence, with Bell's face turning grim.
"That means the gods can tell when their children die? But what does that have to do... with..."
With the facts all presented to him, Bell connected the dots, to which he turned pale in horror.
"G-Goddess, a-are you saying that-?"
"I felt it disappear!"
Hestia swerved her head up at Bell, sheer agony in her once again crying eyes.
"*Sniffle* Your connection to me, I felt it get cut off! S-So I thought that-!"
Hestia choked on another sob, hands letting go of Bell's shirt before embracing him tight again to cry on his chest.
"I thought you died, Bell! I went back to the church and felt our bond vanish! I-I thought I was all alone again! I thought my first and most precious child had died in the dungeon! I-I was barely able to think! I couldn't handle the thought of you dying... I spent so long crying in our room and almost decided to return to Tenkai had it not been for that elf advisor of yours coming over and telling me you were taken to the Dian Cecht Familia!"
"Elf advisor? So Eina..."
Making a note to thank her later, Bell returned his goddess's embrace with his own, continuing to caress her head as he tried not to cry too. He closed his eyes and tightly pressed his teeth together, unable to stop the shivering of his body.
"Goddess... A-Are you sure about what you said? I'm here now, aren't I?"
Because how could he have died if he was hugging her as they speak?
And yet, Hestia wailed out her next words.
"You don't have my falna on your back!"
Bell completely froze.
"Wh-Wha-?" He found himself at a loss for words.
But he didn't even get the chance to fully process what he heard, for Hestia kept going while clutching onto him for dear life.
"While waiting for you to wake up, I checked your back and didn't see my falna! It's gone Bell, a-and I tried giving it to you again while you were still unconscious, but I-I couldn't-! I didn't-!"
Her hands tightly gripped Bell's shirt from behind him.
"No matter how many drops of my blood I gave, nothing popped up! It doesn't work, and I don't know why!"
She finally looked up at a still petrified Bell, looking absolutely devastated.
"I... I can't give you my falna anymore, Bell."
He couldn't breathe.
"I-I-!"
It didn't make sense.
"But, I-! I can't-! That means-!"
Bell's crimson eyes reflected only fear and confusion.
No wonder Hestia had been distraught the entire time; she had felt her only Familia member die and couldn't grant her blessing back to him. He no longer had the means to get stronger.
But why!?
Is it because he had died and couldn't return to the same Familia he had been in before!?
But that didn't make sense!
Bell pulled back out of their embrace and placed his hands on Hestia's shoulders, panic in his eyes.
"I-I don't understand, goddess! I don't remember dying! Could I even come back from dying!? There isn't any magic like that!"
"Bell..." Hestia whispered in broken sympathy.
"No, it doesn't make sense! There was something else, I know it!"
It was still unclear, but Bell knew that there was something he was missing and pushed himself to remember his last moments within the chamber.
He remembered getting pierced by one of the statues, then getting flung onto the altar in the center of the room, and another statue had been going to swing its blade down on him before...
Before...
...
!?
"Wait, I remember now!" Bell suddenly jerked upward with a gasp, letting go of his now confused goddess and turning away, a hand grabbing his head.
"It's a little fuzzy, but something popped up and saved me when I thought I was gonna die on that altar! I think it was called... a system?"
(!)MESSAGE
[You have unread mail.]
"WHOA!"
With a blue screen suddenly popping into existence right in front of his face, Bell jerked backward with a startled yell. This also startled his goddess, who crawled up to him in concern.
"Bell!? What's wrong!? Are you okay!? What did you remember!?"
Hestia's words didn't reach Bell's ears, for the boy's focus was locked on the magic screen before him.
And through looking at this screen, everything else came rushing back to him.
Completing a secret quest.
Becoming a player.
A sudden error before a final flash of light.
"Bell!? Bell!" Hestia finally climbed on top of Bell and started shaking him back and forth. "What's wrong, Bell!? Do I need to get the nurse again!?"
Snapping out of his trance, Bell faced his goddess and hesitantly raised a hand to point at the floating blue screen before him.
"G-Goddess, do you not see this?" He stammered.
Hestia from Bell to what he was pointing at, only to turn back to him with a look of pain.
"Oh Bell, don't tell me you've lost you're mind now!? Don't worry, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life if you let me-!"
"Goddess! I am completely sane but I can see a magic floating screen right in front of me!" Bell cut her off.
Hestia stilled, registering his words as true.
"What?" She glanced at where he was pointing again, but like before, she saw nothing. "Bell, I don't see anything. Are you sure you're okay?"
She shuffled her position in front of Bell, and he was surprised to see the woman go through the blue screen.
"Am I the only one who can see this!?"
"I am, goddess, really! I'm confused too about what this is and why you can't see it, but please believe me!" He practically begged.
"I believe you, Bell." Hestia immediately answered, taking one of his hands into her own with a serious look in her partially swollen red eyes. "If you're saying it, then it's true. Can you tell me what's on the screen?"
Bell took a breath of relief, glad that his goddess hadn't called him crazy. He then turned back to the screen curiously.
"It says that I've got unread... mail?"
Hestia raised an eyebrow.
"That's it?"
"Er, yeah..."
Bell felt himself heating up by the second, realizing how weird this sounded. He knows his goddess must be speculating about his words even if they rang true to her.
Luckily, Hestia seemed ever too willing to go along with him, not loosening her grip on his hand.
"Could you try... opening it?" She asked unsurely.
"Oh, right!" Bell turned back to the screen, only to pause and turn back to Hestia sheepishly. "Er... how do I do that, exactly?"
Why was he asking her like she was supposed to know!?
Hestia deadpanned at him but didn't call him out, simply thinking of ways to open a magic floating screen that only her favorite human could see.
"Try touching it?"
Bell's eyes lit up before turning back to the screen, using his free hand to reach forward and mimic a tap, only for nothing to happen.
Hestia saw his expression fall.
"Didn't work?"
"No... Maybe it's a verbal command then?" Bell muttered, then cleared his throat. "Okay. Um, open mail?"
He jumped as the screen changed to another.
(!)MESSAGE
-Welcome [PLAYER] (Unread)
-System Update (Unread)
-Daily Quest: [Preparing To Become Strong] has arrived (Unread)
"Did it work?" Hestia asked, noticing his reaction. "What do you see?"
"Er, now it has a list of three different messages for me to open, I think..."
A moment of silence.
"Goddess?"
"What is it Bell?"
"I'm so confused right now..." The white-haired boy admitted, clutching his head with a tired sigh.
"I can guess why," Hestia said flatly. "But if we wanna understand what's going on, we gotta figure this out! Maybe this weird box of yours is why I can't give you my Falna!?"
Any exhaustion accumulating disappeared as Bell's eyes shot wide open.
"Open messages!" He practically shouted.
(!)ALARM
[The system will help the growth of the PLAYER's growth.]
[If he fails to obey the system's orders, there may be a PENALTY.]
[Your REWARDS have arrived.]
Bell stared at the screen in front of him, eyebrows furrowing.
So there was a system, and he was a player? And the system would tell him what to do for rewards?
"Bell! Don't leave me in silence! Tell me everything you see as you go!" Hestia whined.
"Oh, sorry, goddess! It's just... I'm not too sure what I'm looking at. The box is calling itself the 'system' and is telling me that it'll help the... 'player's' growth? That has to be me, right? I remember it calling me a player back in the chamber."
"A player?" Bell tensed at Hestia's dry tone and sudden glare.
"Not that kind!" He blushed as he flailed his hands. "I-I think it means more like, in a game? Like tag or something? It's telling me that if I don't obey the system's orders, then there'll be penalties. But it also says that I've also got rewards right now?"
Hestia perked up. "Rewards?"
"Yeah..." Bell breathed in ease. "I'll see what they are now. Um... open rewards?"
(!)QUEST REWARD
Secret Quest: 'Courage of the Weak'
-Great Spellcaster Kandiaru's Blessing: The great spellcaster Kandiaru has gifted a special spell to you. Kandiaru's blessing will ensure that you will always be strong and healthy during your lifetime.
-Temporary effect [Will to Rehabilitate]: Any dismembered body parts are restored.
-Permanent effect [Longevity]: All diseases, poisons, curses, and status effects are healed. sleeping explosively increases regeneration ability.
"What!? That's how I got healed!?" Bell exclaimed with bulging eyes.
"What is it, Bel!? Tell me!" Hestia shook his arm.
"I-I got some sort of ability that let me restore my dismembered body parts! That must've been how I got healed!"
"So you can heal yourself now!?" Hestia exclaimed in awe.
"Er, I don't think so," Bell admitted, intently reading the rewards. "It says that it was a temporary effect, so probably not. But I also got two other rewards! One is the... 'Great Spellcaster Kandiaru's Blessing?'"
"Who's Kandiaru?" Hestia frowned.
"I have no idea, goddess. All it says is that I'll always be strong and healthy during my lifetime, whatever that means." Bell shrugged.
"Sounds good, though. What about the other thing?" Hestia asked eagerly, surprisingly invested in learning about this system, as any doubts about it had vanished after learning that it had healed Bell.
"It's a permanent effect called 'Longevity.' It says all diseases, poisons, curses, and status effects are... healed!? And that sleeping will increase my body's regeneration!? Does that mean that I can heal if I sleep!? And I'm immune to effects put on my body!?"
Now that sounded absolutely amazing to Bell, as so many monsters in the dungeon could induce side effects on adventurers, like the Purple Moth's poison! It was why nearly everyone who levels up chooses the Abnormal Resistance development skill to gain resistance from these effects, but he just has an ability that permanently nullifies them!?
"That sounds incredible!" Hestia beamed. "Now you can go in the dungeon and not worry... about..."
The goddess trailed off as she remembered Bell's lack of her blessing, her expression dropping.
"But you don't have my falna, Bell! Can you even go into the dungeon without coming back to my Familia?"
Bell hated how frail she sounded.
"I still have messages left, goddess! I'll see if either can tell me what happened, okay?" Bell tried reassuring, not wishing to see his goddess start crying again.
The woman lightly nodded, trying to look hopeful.
Once more, Bell turned back to the screen.
"Um, next message?"
Once more, it changed.
(!)SYSTEM UPDATE
[Due to the previously detected foreign power being absorbed and adapted, the system has undergone a system update.]
[The update includes the following:]
-The adoption of the stat measurements and leveling up mechanics of the foreign power. This is due to the PLAYER's familiarity with the foreign power and the potential of the [Skills] and [Magic] the PLAYER can gain from the foreign power's influence.
-The initial INTELLIGENCE stat of the system merging with the current MAGIC stat {MAG} of the foreign power, granting the ability to obtain [Magic] that won't require chanting. The restriction on the number of [Magic] slots has been removed.
-The SENSE stat {SEN} being added to the adopted foreign power's stat system. The SENSE stat increases the perception and intuition of the PLAYER and the awareness of his surroundings. Increases the ability to accurately sense the strength of enemies.
-The PLAYER now being able to print his own [Status]. However, the PLAYER is restricted from forming links with divine beings. Any attempts to convert the PLAYER will be rejected.
[Your previous stats have been acquired. To see your [Status], simply state so.]
Bell was at a loss for words.
"No way, this can't be right, can it!? There's no way! This should be impossible!"
"Bell?" Hestia gently called out to him, noticing his catatonic state.
"S-Status!" He abruptly shouted. He wanted, no, needed to see if what he could see was true.
Name: Bell Cranel
Level [1]
Job: None
Title: None
HP: 156
MP: 10
{STR}: I-77 - I-95
{VIT}: I-13 - I-52
{DEX}: I-93 - I-96
{AGI}: H-148 - H-191
{MAG}: I-10
{SEN}: I-10
Remaining Points: 10
[Skills]
Longevity-All diseases, poisons, curses, and status effects are healed. Sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability.
[Magic]
()
[Development Abilities]
()
Oh god, it was true. He can see his own status; he can see everything!
He... He has his own falna...
He has his own falna!
And it really has an extra stat category!? A completely new one exclusive for him!?
BUT HOW!?
Bell had been confused about what the system had meant by 'adopting' a foreign power, but if that 'foreign power' had been his goddess's falna, then that meant that this system had the power to influence a god's ability!? That it had absorbed a god's power and used it to give him, some kid from a random village, a falna of his own!?
What was going on!?
"Goddess?" He managed to breathe out, slowly turning his appalled expression at Hestia, who felt a little uneasy at the look.
"Yeah, Bell?" She asked, biting her lip nervously.
The boy hesitated as he wondered how to explain what he had just read, knowing exactly what it'd do to her. But he knew there wasn't any way to gently break it to the goddess.
So with a heavy heart, he spoke.
"I can't ever receive your falna... I can't receive anyone's falna anymore."
He saw the exact moment Hestia's world came crashing down.
"Wh-What are you talking about, Bell!? Of course we can get you a falna-get MY falna back!" Hestia formed a tense smile, strained of all hope, as she grabbed him by his shoulders. "W-We just have to figure out how to fix this! I-I can ask my friend Hephaestus, or even better, Miach! H-He knows all about medicines and other things, so he can find a solution to this! I know it!"
Even though he so desperately wanted to agree with her, something told Bell that wouldn't be possible.
"This weird system probably isn't even much anyway! It can't be all that powerful, right!? Right!?" Hestia desperately gripped Bell's shoulders as she urged an answer out of him, wishing for him to reassure her, to give her some sliver of hope.
But Bell could only clench his eyes in frustration.
"Goddess... This system didn't just make it so that I couldn't receive a falna, it gave me my own."
Hestia stilled, complete shock in her otherwise dull eyes.
"Wh-What?" She croaked.
Bell took a deep breath, bearing the stress on his shoulders.
"When I was about to die in the dungeon, the system popped up and offered me the choice to become some kind of 'player.' And when it did, there was an error... An error of a foreign power existing inside me."
"My falna?" Hestia realized with an intake of air, her grip briefly loosening.
Bell nodded, carrying on.
"The system then gave me an option. To expel the power... or absorb it."
"It absorbed my falna!? But that's akin to part of my arcanum! Even if it's barely a minuscule amount, that shouldn't be possible!" Hestia interrupted, unable to believe what she heard.
"I know, goddess. But I don't know what else to say. Somehow this system had the power to absorb your falna and convert it into one of my own! The status I see looks normal, but there are so many new things on it, things that aren't on the usual falna! I-I can even print my own status, goddess!" Bell rapidly spoke.
"But the only thing I could think of that could mess with a falna is a god using their arcanum! And you said you got a blessing from someone named Kandiaru, right? Does... Does that mean another god stole you from me into their Familia?" Hestia looked utterly devoid of life from the prospect, that someone else had forcefully taken her only child from her.
Bell's eyes widened at the idea, but he couldn't help but feel that something didn't add up to hold that logic.
"I'm not entirely sure it's like that, goddess. This seems too unique to be the case of just any god using their arcanum, especially since doing so would only get them sent back to Tenkai. Nothing on my status says that I'm in Kandiaru's Familia, and I don't even think the system intended to take another falna in the first place. Because when it tried to... 'accept me,' it told me that a 'foreign power' was stopping it instead of just saying it was just another falna. It's like it didn't even have the idea of the falna in the first place; it only chose to measure my strength like a falna after absorbing yours. So... I'm not too sure about anything else, but all the system said about itself was that it was meant to help my 'growth,' that's it. And I think it just used your falna to help with that."
"Then..." Hestia finally let her hands fall from Bell's shoulders, her arms dropping limply at her sides as her gaze fell with shadowed eyes. "You... You really can't join my Familia again? Not ever?"
Bell's own stare went downward, his hands tightly balling into fists.
"I don't think so, goddess..."
A depressed silence filled the room, with Hestia sitting on her knees and Bell sitting cross-legged right in front of her.
"So that's it, then?"
"Huh?" Bell raised his head forward. "What's it, goddess?"
"You can't be a part of my Familia anymore... Heh, as I could even call it one in the first place..."
Bell's eyes widened at the hollow chuckle.
"Goddess...?"
"You were the one going into the dungeon and earning us valis, and I couldn't even find anyone else to join us to help ease the burden... All I had to offer you was my falna and the jagamarukun I brought back for us sometimes... I couldn't do anything else. It was hard to get by, but at least I had you with me, at least I had a connection keeping us together. But now..."
She finally raised her head, and Bell's eyes grew in horror to see his goddess giving him a smile.
A broken, hopeless, empty smile, with tears falling from her lifeless eyes.
"Y-You don't need me anymore." Her voice trembled. "Congratulations, Bell. You no longer have this useless goddess holding you back."
"No. That's wrong."
"Nononononono."
"NO!"
Bell practically jumped forward as he wrapped his arms around Hestia, pulling her head to his chest and holding her like his life depended on it.
"Eh!? B-B-Bell!?" Not having expected this, the goddess turned completely red at the sudden contact. She was usually the one to initiate such passionate hugs with Bell, after all, not the other way around.
"You're not useless!" Bell stated angrily. "To me, you're my precious goddess! You always will be!"
He felt Hestia freeze in his arms.
"B-Bell?"
He took a deep breath.
"Goddess... When I first showed up to Orario, I came to be an adventurer, you know that. But I looked so weak that not a single Familia would even give me the chance to prove myself. Even the smallest Familia's wouldn't accept me because they thought they'd be feeding a mouth that'll inevitably die in the dungeon. I was completely alone, I didn't have anyone with me, and I had started to lose hope."
He pulled back from their hug and his hands gently grabbed Hestia's cheeks, bringing her to look at his now-crying eyes and soft smile.
"But then you found me. You found me when I was at my lowest and accepted me when no one else did. You gave me a chance even when you could've seen me as a small, weak boy that wouldn't even last a day in the dungeon.
Bell moved a hand to gently wipe the tears in the corner of the goddess's eyes, the woman quivering as her gaze remained locked with the boy she had grown to love.
"Goddess, when I was in that room, I was scared, no, terrified that I'd die in there. But I thought about you. I thought about how much you needed me, how much I wanted to return to you, how much I wanted to return and see your smile again."
Hestia's breathing halted at that declaration.
"You've done so much for me, goddess. You gave me a home, you gave reassurance and acceptance when no one else did, and you gave me hope to keep following my dreams."
Despite her eyes still teary, Hestia gave him a flat look.
"To pick up girls in the dungeon and make a harem?"
That took out some of the wind in Bell's sails, the boy embarrassingly avoiding her gaze with red cheeks and an awkward chuckle.
At least it seemed to lighten the mood.
"W-Well... I can't deny that, but..."
He turned back to her with a sheepish but blinding smile.
"But above all else, I want to be a hero, just like in the stories my grandfather used to tell me as a kid. And you gave me my first step in that. It doesn't matter that I don't have your falna anymore. It doesn't matter what kind of power I've got. You will always be my goddess. And if anyone were to ask me what Familia I'm in, I'll raise my head high and proudly say that I'm part of the Hestia Familia and that I'll always be."
He reached down and firmly gripped Hestia's small hands.
"I'll never leave you, goddess, I promise."
By the end of his words, Hestia's eyes had widened to comical margins and were waterfalling tears.
"Bell... *Sniff* BELL!" Once again the goddess pounced on him, but the boy was ready for her this time, happily catching her in her arms and letting her cry into his chest.
They stayed like this for several minutes, with Hestia repeatedly telling Bell that she was blessed to meet him and that he'll always be her precious child.
Afterward, a comforting quiet filled the room, with the occasional sniffle coming from Hestia as she curled up in Bell's lap, face still in his chest.
"Bell?"
"Yes, goddess?"
"I-I know you promised that you'd never leave me, but... I want a guarantee."
Bell blinked.
"A guarantee?"
A nod. "Something... Something that'll show that we'll never leave each other."
Bell warmly smiled.
"If it'll make you feel better, goddess."
She nudged him with her head.
"Hestia..."
"...Eh?"
The woman raised her head to reveal a pleading gaze.
"Call me Hestia, please. That's all I want."
Bell somewhat panicked and started sputtering with a flushed face.
"B-But that'd be disrespectful to you, goddess!"
"It'd only be disrespectful if a person doesn't want to be addressed casually!" Hestia interrupted, looking a little angry. "If anything, isn't even more disrespectful to deny when a god wants to be addressed differently!?"
Bell froze at that, not having ever thought about it like that.
"I..."
"I almost lost you, Bell! If you had died, it would've been with you addressing me like any other god! You know how important you are to me!"
She raised her gaze with begging eyes.
"D-Don't you?"
Bell was left completely unmoving with an unblinking gaze.
What has he been doing this entire time?
He thinks so highly of his goddess and has always been grateful to her for giving him a chance, for giving him hope and company, and yet... he hasn't even been showing his sincerity for her, has he?
He can't even do something as simple as call her by her name?
How stupid...
A gaze of certainty formed in his eyes as he faced the woman before him.
"I'm so sorry..." He paused, then took a nervous breath. "H-Hestia..."
Saying the goddess's name felt awkward coming out of his mouth, but it was so worth it by how the woman lit up like the sun.
"Bell!" Hestia threw her arms around Bell's neck and placed her head on his shoulder, laughing happily as she held him tight. "Thank you, Bell! I'll stay with you for the rest of your life!"
Bell softly smiled and closed his eyes, returning the embrace.
"And I'll do the same with you, Hestia. I'll make sure to get stronger and always protect you."
Hestia giggled drunkenly at the thought of him shielding her like a knight in shining armor, really liking the image.
But the duo's moment was interrupted as the door opened once again, with Airmid walking in with new bedsheets. But the young woman stopped at the sight of them and formed a look of surprise.
"You're still here? I assumed you would've left by-"
She paused, noticing the two's positions on the bed.
A menacing glare formed on her doll-like face.
"Mister Cranel, goddess Hestia, we do not offer those sorts of accommodations. I apologize but I must ask you to leave."
There was an awkward pause before two faces burst with red.
"NO!/ WE WERE JUST-!"
Hestia abruptly sat up while straightening her back, but by doing so, her large breasts shoved themselves into Bell's face.
"MMPH!?"
"Ah, sorry Bell!"
Safe to say, Airmid dead gaze made it clear she didn't believe their following cries of denial.
Turns out, having a magic floating box in front of you is really annoying when you can't turn it off, especially when you're trying to go back home.
Bell learned this the hard way as he realized that the blue screen wouldn't vanish from his sight, not until he finished the last piece of 'mail' he had to read. Or at least, that's what he's guessing.
So after changing to his normal attire, Hestia had to lead him back to their residence by the hand. The white-haired boy was red-faced with embarrassment the entire time, while his goddess absolutely reveled in holding his hand every step of the way.
The only upside to the situation was that there at least weren't too many people out on the streets since it had become dark, so he wasn't stared at too much...
When they finally made it back to the broken-down church and into their sleeping quarters, Bell was quick to pull his hand away with a sigh of relief.
"Finally..."
Hestia blinked and looked down at her palm, feeling the warmth disappear, then darted back at Bell with an angry, teary pout.
"You don't have to be so relieved about not holding hands with me!" She whined.
Bell awkwardly laughed as he sat down on the couch.
"Er, sorry goddess-"
"Hestia!"
He sweatdropped. "U-Um, right... Sorry, it might take me a bit to adjust to that..."
The short woman put her hands on her hips with a 'hmph!'
"As long as you at least try to keep it in mind. Now, cmon, Bell! You have one more message you've gotta see, right?'
Bell glanced back at his screen.
-Daily Quest: [Preparing To Become Strong] has arrived (Unread)
"Yes, something about becoming strong. Um... open quest?"
(!)QUEST DIRECTIONS
Daily Quest: Preparing to Become Strong
GOAL:
[Incomplete] Push-Ups [0/100]
[Incomplete] Sit-Ups [0/100]
[Incomplete] Squats [0/100]
[Incomplete] Running [0/10km]
WARNING!- Failure to complete this Daily Quest will result in a Penalty.
Bell's expression became completely blank.
"Well? What is it?" Hestia asked, noticing her non-official child's reaction.
He hesitantly turned his head to the goddess.
"It's... It's telling me to do exercise."
...
"Eh?" Hestia gave him a questioning look, despite registering his words as true. "You're serious?"
"A hundred push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and then... a ten-kilometer run, all in a day," Bell stated in a neutral tone.
"Haaaaah!? That's way too much for someone who just got out of the infirmary after being unconscious for three days! Just ignore that stupid quest, Bell. I don't know what's up with this system, but that's too much." Hestia stated in disapproval.
Bell reread the quest, eyebrows furrowing.
"But... it's telling me that I'll receive a penalty if I don't complete it. Won't that be bad?"
Hestia paused, only to huff in annoyance.
"If this little system is understanding and wants you to get stronger, then it should know that you should be relaxing right now, Bell. And it's already too late to go exercising anyways. Just start that quest or whatever tomorrow. What's the worst that can happen?"
"Whatever you say, godde-"
A glare.
"H-Hestia..." He sheepishly lowered his gaze.
Hestia happily smiled.
This would be hard to get used to, but Bell supposed that was his fault for always being so stuck up on treating his goddess's title with so much respect.
"Oh, I don't think I have to say this but don't tell anybody about this 'system' of yours. It doesn't matter if you can't be part of a Familia, the gods will see you as an anomaly and try to sway you to their side anyways. They live for entertainment, after all, and an adventurer with their own falna is too eye-catching to ignore!"
Bell then recalled something. "That reminds me, goddess, do you wanna see my status?"
Hestia's eyes brightened.
"That's right! You said you can print it yourself, right!?"
Without waiting for an answer, Hestia jumped to an old drawer and yanked it open, pulling out a sheet of parchment before leaping back to the couch with her hand outstretched.
"Show me!" She sparkled.
Bell smiled at her child-like excitement, taking the parchment into his hands.
"I'm not sure how to, but I'll try. Hmm... print status?"
To his surprise, the parchment in his hands lit up in a dark purple glow, where words and numbers started developing.
"Purple...?" Hestia muttered in surprise, as status prints always glowed white whenever done. Whoever this Kandiaru was, he was really contrasting himself with the other gods.
She stared next to Bell as his sheet portrayed all the information about him.
STATUS
Name: Bell Cranel
Level 1
Job: None
Title: None
HP: 156
MP: 10
{STR}: I-77 - I-95
{VIT}: I-13 - I-52
{DEX}: I-93 - I-96
{AGI}: H-148 - H-191
{MAG}: I-10
{SEN}: I-10
Remaining Points: 10
[Skills]
Longevity-All diseases, poisons, curses, and status effects are healed. Sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability.
[Magic]
()
[Development Abilities]
()
While Hestia admired his stats, Bell stared curiously at the top of the page. What would have normally been the icon of fire in a bowl to represent Hestia's emblem was instead the simple word 'STATUS' in its place. Did that really mean that he really wasn't affiliated with any god? That all of these new abilities were his own and that the system was truly just meant to be something for himself?
Questions to keep in mind...
"What's with this jump of stats!? Your Vitality and Agility alone went up by like forty points alone! And since when did you have ten points in magic!? You don't even have magic!" Hestia exclaimed with bulging eyes. "And what in the world are all these other things!? MP, HP, job, title!?"
She then took a giant gasp.
"YOU HAVE AN EXTRA STAT CATEGORY!?"
Bell chuckled. "Yeah, when I said I had things different from a normal status, I meant it. The system had its own stat measurements but decided to use the falna structure to change it up. So... I think what you're seeing is a blend of the two? I'm still not really sure-"
He suddenly stopped talking, eyes shooting open in realization.
"Wait, I have magic points!?"
He shoved his face into the parchment, staring close at it.
"I know! You shouldn't even have any points there until you actually get magic!" Hestia declared.
Bell stared at the page, reflecting on what the system had told him.
"It... It could be the system giving me a base stat to start with? It did say that it merged my magic stat with another one it had been planning to give me. My sense is also at ten, too, so I think that's it."
Hestia rose an eyebrow.
"Sense? Is that your new stat?"
A nod.
"Apparently it helps me measure the strength of others and make me more aware of things, or something like that," Bell answered robotically, still stunned about his magic stat.
"Really? Sounds really useful. But what's with the rest of these things? Like the HP and..." Hestia suddenly trailed off as a loud yawn came from her mouth, her eyes drooping.
Bell gave her an understanding smile.
"I think all that crying has tired us both, Hestia."
The goddess rubbed her eyes.
"Yeah... I guess all my adrenaline from worrying about you is gone now." She joked, her eyelids feeling visibly heavy.
"Then let's continue looking over this tomorrow," Bell suggested, standing up and heading to the lamp Hestia had turned on, clicking it off.
When he sat back on the couch, his goddess fell against him, snuggling up close.
"You won't disappear... right, Bell?"
Hearing her insecurity, Bell smiled before grabbing the blanket on the couch with them, wrapping the two in it.
"Never, goddess, never."
He then felt her snoozing away on him, bringing a warm feeling to his heart.
He let himself lay on the couch so his goddess was comfortably on top of him.
As Bell lay in silence with Hestia in his arms, he went through a self-reflection of himself.
He had wanted to be an adventurer to go to the dungeon, to pick up girls and become a hero like those from the stories his gramps had always read to him. But going through that chamber had changed his perspective a bit.
Everything about that room had felt wrong, unnatural, horrifying. There were so many moments where the wrong move would've resulted in his demise. And even with his careful precision, he had still lost an arm. Bell now had a very vivid idea of how dangerous the dungeon was, fully understanding that anything could happen in it.
Being trapped in that chamber had been the scariest moment of Bell's life, and he never wanted to feel that weak ever again.
So a new resolution had formed.
The will to get stronger, the will to survive. A will to pay back his goddess for her kindness and ensure he'd never leave her until it was natural.
Sure, he still had girls on his mind, but that motivation was rather small compared to his new resolve for strength. He had to be strong enough to protect himself and others, to go through any challenge thrown at him like he had done in that cruel room.
He'll be sure to protect those he comes to love and care about, no matter what.
As the rays of dawn pierced through the holes of the church, a Hestia hugged the blanket against her while mumbling in her sleep.
"Hmmm, Bell... Not there, Bell, you naughty boy, hehe... Oh Bell, Bell-hm?"
The goddess's eyelids slowly cracked open, her body naturally realizing that her favorite source of warmth wasn't with her.
"Mmm..."
She sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes, taking a few seconds to fully start functioning properly.
"Ngh... Bell?"
She blinked a few times to clear her fuzzy vision, then took a tired glance around the room, only to find that the young boy was missing.
"Don't tell me he left for the dungeon? Ugh, that boy..."
She then glanced at the nightstand next to the couch, only to squint her eyes.
"Wait, but his gear is still here?"
Did he forget to take it with him as he left? But Bell would never forget something so important.
So where did he go so early without it?
As Hestia contemplated this, a bright flash suddenly filled the room.
"GWAH!?"
The woman's eyes shot wide open as she jumped backwards, only to fall off the edge of the couch, yelping as she hit the ground.
"Uwah..."
She sat up and rubbed the back of her head, only to completely freeze, her pupils shrinking in horror.
"B-Bell?"
On the floor in front of her with sand all around him, Bell was on his hands and knees with harsh breaths as he lifted his gaze, revealing fatigued eyes with his head and shirt soaked in sweat.
At the sight of her, the corners of his lips rose to a tired smile.
"I'm... home... goddess..."
He then proceeded to collapse facefirst to the floor.