"No, you've grown a lot compared to last time."
Her fighting style, once nothing but reckless aggression, had clearly become much more composed.
Bell remembered how Ais used to fight before—every strike unleashed with full force, without the slightest sense of balance between attack and defense.
But this time, he saw the difference. Her movements were no longer just brute force. Each strike carried a sense of control, no longer exhausting her strength completely. Even in her offense, there was a trace of defense—and that, in Bell's eyes, was a remarkable improvement.
"Growth in stats isn't everything."
"I'd guess that after the expedition, the 'Sword Princess' started helping her companions grow too, right?"
Ais nodded. Since returning from the last expedition, she had come to realize how important her companions were. She had started training together with the others in her Familia.
"In the past, you were different from the rest of your Familia. You grew too quickly, and they couldn't keep up. Deep down, you probably thought they never could. So you just kept moving forward alone, paying no attention to anyone else."
Bell's words made Ais pause. Thinking back to how she'd acted during the expedition and how she'd treated her comrades, she fell silent.
She knew he was right. Her actions had shown it clearly enough.
"But now, you've turned back. You've started connecting with your companions, helping them grow. That's why your fighting style has changed too. You've learned to hold back a bit of your strength with each strike."
"Doesn't that make me weaker?"
"...You really don't get it. Having variation in your attacks is exactly what lets you defeat stronger enemies even when your Status isn't enough. With that stupid 'attack without thinking' style of yours, even someone like me could have beaten you."
Bell didn't hold back as he used the word "stupid" to describe her. To him, this girl really was stubborn to the point of stupidity.
"Well, I already know you're hopeless when it comes to certain things."
How could someone so beautiful have a brain that messy?
Bell couldn't help but think it was a shame.
"This is a skill you have to master."
"Right now, the highest level in Orario is Level 7. That's your ceiling before you even think about challenging your parents. But your parents are Level 8—and together, they can reach the equivalent of Level 9."
"You seriously plan to fight them head-on? Do you have a death wish?"
Bell's words hit hard, leaving Ais speechless.
She knew that no matter how much she trained, she couldn't reach the level needed to stand toe-to-toe with her father and mother. Even Level 8 was a distant dream in Orario. She didn't believe her talent surpassed that of the 'King,' someone who could take that step first.
So when it came to facing her parents, she would always be at a disadvantage. That was a fact she couldn't change.
"What should I do?"
At that moment, Ais felt lost, unsure how she could possibly make her skills stronger.
"For that, you should talk to Captain Finn and Mr. Gareth. One is an agile-type adventurer like you, and the other is a power-type—the kind you're least comfortable facing. Go and learn from them."
"Feel what it's like to have your attributes suppressed, and find a way to break through in that state."
Bell didn't disappoint her. He pointed out the best path forward for the current Ais.
The "Sword Princess" would eventually face not just level suppression, but also Status suppression. Now was the time for her to think about how to deal with such situations.
Only those who are suppressed can understand how to fight their way out.
That was something no one could teach—she would have to discover it herself.
"Alright."
Ais, as concise as ever, quietly committed his words to memory. Once this matter was over and she returned, she would seek out Finn and Gareth.
The two soon ended their conversation and refocused on what lay ahead.
"I can't sense anything."
Ais heightened her senses, trying to use the wind to gather information, but she couldn't detect anything useful.
"That's normal. That beast has devoured a god. Even now, it's still absorbing divine power. It's no longer something you can call an ordinary Monster. Not sensing its presence is only natural."
After explaining, Bell paused for a moment, then reached out to cover Ais's eyes.
"Hold on. I'll show you what's really around us."
"Mm."
He projected the vision he saw directly to Ais's retinas, converting the images into information she could perceive.
When he withdrew his hand, Ais looked around again—and saw a completely different sight.
The surrounding forest was covered in a thick layer of black mist, which continued to spread outward.
"This... is what it really looks like?"
Ais's eyes widened. She was sure she hadn't seen any of this before, yet now the dark mist was unmistakably there.
"This is an anomaly born from the fusion of a Monster's Magic Stone and divine power. It contains the Monster's resentment and the god's regret. In simple terms, it's pure malice. For any god, this stuff is the deadliest kind of poison."
"Also, you probably can't smell the odor coming from this black mist. But that's a good thing. If you could, you wouldn't be able to keep walking beside me."
The stench that touched the soul was unbearable.
The closer they drew to Bell, the stronger that foul scent became—an odor seeping out from the depths of the soul itself, far more nauseating than Ais had imagined.
What they'd sensed from afar had been nothing compared to this.
Up close, it was horrifying.
Perhaps because Bell possessed the power of the "Seven Deadly Sins," he was especially sensitive to malice and desire.
Moments like this made him wish that sensitivity weren't part of his nature.
"Let's move faster. Our destination is the island in the middle of the lake. That's where the stench is strongest—and where the passage below begins."
"Got it."
...
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