"Bell cranel, huh. A strange name for a girl, but I guess it's a soft one." The stranger commented on his appearance.
"A-a girl?!" The young boy, Bell, shrieked. "I-I'm a boy, Mr…"
"Kaelis. Kaelis valeblade."
"Ok Mr valeblade." Bell bowed his head a bit politely before catching himself. "Wai—I'm a boy!"
"Uhuh?" Kaelis looked at him from head to toe.
The kid's small, maybe ten or eleven, with snow-white hair that almost glowed in the light with messy strands around his face, soft enough that you'd think someone brushed it every morning.
His skin was pale too—clean, smooth, and way too spotless for a kid who probably ran around outside all day.
He had these big red eyes that stood out against everything else, bright and curious but kind of shy-looking at the same time.
Honestly, if he hadn't been wearing those plain old boy clothes, you'd swear he was some village girl wandering around lost.
Even his arms were thin, his build pretty much nonexistent—like he'd lose an arm-wrestling match against a broomstick.
Then he spoke—voice soft but definitely a guy's.
Even though Kaelis could see(barely) he is a boy, what's wrong with messing with him.
Standing there straight as Kaelis analyzed him, Bell got nervous at being gazed so intensely at by another person.
"Mhm yes," Kaelis nodded, watching as Bell beamed, "definitely a girl."
"Eh?" Bell froze.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Kaelis blinked.
Bell's face turned pink as he flailed his hands.
"B-but I'm not a girl!" He stammered.
Kaelis raised an eyebrow in confusion. "But you're showing a girly reaction… at least with your looks and build."
"I'm not a girl!" The kid looked like he's about to cry.
Not wanting him to though, Kaelis tried to calm him down.
"Alright alright, you're not a girl." Kaelis placed his hand on his chest and exclaimed, "You're a brave boy who faced 5 deadly wolves!"
"Stand proud, you are strong!"
Hearing him getting praised, bell eyes glowed brightly.
"Haaah! Yes!" He exclaimed, jumping around.
After a while of celebrating his victory of reclaiming his masculinity, if he had much, he looked around curiously.
"What happened to the wolves though? Did they ran away?"
There was nothing to show that a fight happened at all. There were no craters, fire gashes of trees or ground. It was as if the wolves famished.
"I took care of them."
"You did? Hey wai—" Bell got flustered as he was lifted up under Kaelis's arm with little resistance.
"Yea. Let's get you out of here. I'm sure you know your way around here, lead the way cause I don't where I'm at."
"Uh yea. Me and my Grandpa live close by—he owns a farm." Bell replied smugly.
Kaelis nodded, "Nice."
On the way, the two exchanged words when Bell finally brought up something of interest.
"By the way, mr! Are you an adventurer?!"
An adventurer? How long has it been since I've heard that term? "No, why?" Kaelis answered calmly, not looking at Bell.
"Huh? You're not? But you're so strong." Bell's head titled.
"What does being strong have to do with being an adventurer? Are only strong people adventurers?"
"I don't know."
"How come you don't know but asking if I'm one of them?"
"I asked because I don't."
"Fair enough. Oh I see a house and a barn up ahead, is that where your gramps is?" Kaelis pointed.
Bell glanced over and confirmed it.
"Ok we'll be there in a minute. Anyway, who told you about these adventurers if you then?" Kaelis continued their conversation.
"My grandpa did. He told me about adventures and he read hero stories to me."
"Probably as bedtime stories, right?"
Missing the implications in Kaelis statement, Bell happily answered, "Yes and sometimes when we don't have anything else on the farm to do!"
"Hmm. You must really love heroes huh. You wanna be one?
Bell's head shot up. "W–Well, yeah! I mean— I do! I wanna be a hero someday!"
His voice cracked a little at the end, and he quickly rubbed the back of his neck, face pink.
"My grandpa used to tell me stories about them every night. About brave people who helped others no matter what. I… I want to be like that too."
He smiled then—small but pure, the kind that told you he meant every word.
"A hero, huh? That's a big dream."
Kaelis ruffled his hair and chuckled. "Well, keep at it kid. The world could use more kids like you."
He saw dreams as pure, even if he doesn't really believe the world works that way.
"Really?!"
Reaching the edge of the forest, inside the farm area, he saw an elderly man walking behind a few cows.
Hearing the bell's voice, the man glanced over to see his grandson under a stranger's arm being carried.
His face immediately hardened as his eyes narrowed but as they drew closer, he got a closer look at their faces.
Bell's was full of smiles as his mouth moved rapidly and though the strangers seem to be ignoring him, any experienced person could see he was listening.
"Good day to you old timer! I got your boy here! Found him in the forest—nearly got mauled by a pack of wolves." The stranger informed as he release the kid.
The elder's face froze as he mouthed, "What!?" And turned to bell.
"I'm sorry grandpa, hehehee." He began fidgeting as he turned his face.
Wanting to discipline the youth but holding back, the man sighed and turned to the stranger.
"I must thank you for saving my grandson. And I'm sorry for any trouble he might've cost you."
He bowed before pulling bell's head down as well.
"I'm sorry!" Bell apologized as well.
Kaelis waved his hand. "No need. He didn't cause me any trouble. And besides without him, I would've had to aimlessly wander in that forest."
"Many thanks."
The man extended his hand, "My name's Deus, bell's grandfather."
Grabbing his hand in a firm handshake Kaelis introduced himself. "Kaelis valeblade."
After letting go, Deus pulled bell close and asked for the details about the wolves that attacked his lovely grandson.
"I don't know much really. The wolves didn't look like the typical wolves." Kaelis explained. "What were you doing so far in the forest anyway?" He looked to bell.
Bell began fiddling with his fingers.
"I—uh. Um. I went… to train." If Kaelis hearing was good, he would missed it due to how low it was.
"You mean your hero training." Kaelis understood but the way he said it made Bell's face flushed.
"Anyway, Those wolves didn't look like your typical wolves. Are they natives in this area?"
"Ah. Might be monsters outside the dungeon. There aren't many left in the outside world but they're still prevalent." Deus explained"
"Though as you might be unscathed, you must be 1 or 2, right?" He asked, observing Kaelis.
"Level 1, 2… dungeon? What are those?" Kaelis raised an eyebrow.
Deus frowned a bit. "Young man. You don't know about those things?" He looked at Kaelis's face and saw genuine confusion.
"Aren't you an adventurer? Which familia do you belong to?"
He looked at Kaelis's face to read his expressions and get a read on his thoughts.
But when he did, all he saw was genuine confusion, which left him awestruck.
In the past millennium, reaching adulthood without hearing about terms such as adventurers, familia and the likes was a feat no one has ever accomplished.
"Young man…were you… living under a rock?"
Chapter 39 end.
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As you can tell by the name of the old man, I went with Deus. It means god in Latin, but it is a casual name, so no one would suspect shit.
Mc doesn't know much Latin either.