Chapter 46: War Strategy

After the proud declaration of Bell to reclaim Sorshan in four months' time, the meeting hall fell into silence as they all listened attentively to the vigilante's plan to manifest a turnabout and repel the horde of Behemoths. Something even the gods present didn't think was possible.

"My plan will essentially revolve around a singular goal… that will be the mass-creating of weapons capable of killing the Behemoths"

Bell said with a confident gaze at the crowd in the meeting hall, something that was met with curious gazes from Freya and Hermes, and more confused looks on the end of the Shalzard resistance and the gods' children.

'Weapons capable of killing Behemoths? I don't seem to recall many instances of Bell Cranel being a blacksmith. Though his powers seem to revolve around the summoning of weapons with his mind… will his abilities be viable on such a large scale?'

Hedin thought as he processed the words of Bell. As the head strategist of the Freya familia, he knew all too well the logistics and requirements needed to supply a combat-ready army.

He had led his familia through the dark ages of Orario, through many skirmishes with the Loki familia, and in numerous dungeon explorations. Hedin is Orario's best strategist after Finn, so he was very curious as to how Bell planned to achieve such a feat.

'Outside of Lady Hephaestus and Lord Goibniu, I find it really hard to believe that such a weapon can be made, without even taking into consideration mass-production… I suppose it's best I don't question things too much…'

Hedin decided to not dwell too much into the question. After seeing what had happened with Allen, and Bell's immense firepower just earlier, Hedin wasn't foolish enough to stoke the flames once more.

"..."

As Hedin decided to not confront Bell as to the specifics of his operation, Arry simply smiled lightly as she saw how Bell was able to reignite energy once more in a hall that was so devoid of sound just moments prior. The king was fully taking in the effect a hero had in the hearts of people.

'Bell really is amazing… selfishness… if selfishness is what drives him to be a hero, perhaps the same would be true of me as well?'

Arry thought about the conflict in her heart. To choose her people and kingdom, or to choose her love for a single person. To give up the many for the few, or the few for the many. Such was the dilemma in the king's heart… but after seeing Bell's display against Allen. The declaration of selfishness that drove his desire to become a hero for the world. Arry began to feel a road where she need not choose between the two.

'Selfishness… desire… dream… ego…'

Arry's eyes began to glow faintly at the sight of a new possibility. One that was only limited by her personal drive to attain what lay at the end of the path.

Resolving her heart, Arry decided to set on the path before her. Try as she might to convince herself time and time again to let go of Bell for the sake of her dream, Arry couldn't find it in herself to let go of the man so close to her heart.

Arry's faint smile began to grow more and more as she listened attentively to each word Bell began to say, her eyes growing soft as she watched him talk with abundant energy, unaware that the spirit of dawn had been watching her attentively as well.

"I'm sure you're all curious as to how I can manufacture such a weapon, but I cannot exactly outline how I can do so due to personal reasons… so just simply trust that I will be able to provide results"

Bell said as he began to scan the expressions in the room.

He had noticed a few faces showing a hint of doubt at his words, but they were quickly diminished as those people began to look towards their representatives. The king and the two gods showed little doubt, so Bell's words weren't challenged in regard to their authenticity.

"Well, back when we were working together in Orario, you never failed to deliver on your promises. What reason do I have to doubt you now? Even if you fail or I doubt, it will be a bad end for us all… so it's better to bet on your promise and go all in HAHAHAHA!"

Hermes said with a laid-back tone.

The god decided to support Bell as this era's hero no matter what. So even if he had to descend through the depths of hell, he would do so with no hesitation.

"There's no question on my end, Bell. Right, my children?"

Freya said with a hint of hostility as she beckoned upon her children to answer.

The goddess was highly disappointed at her children's behavior toward her beloved, so she would be holding a grudge against them for quite some time. A sentiment that the Freya familia received clearly as they shouted in unison.

"ABSOLUTELY, LADY FREYA!!!"

The meeting hall once more shook at the passionate response of the Freya familia, and Bell felt slightly sorry for them as he had antagonized them in the eyes of the goddess they adored, but such a thing was an inevitability in the mind of Bell, so he would soon get over it.

'I wonder if they'll try to kill me if they learn how lovey-dovey Freya was with me during our month together…'

As Bell simulated how he would fight a jealous Freya familia, Arry decided to speak up last. A bit disheartened that her kingdom and people were significantly smaller and less relevant compared to the two familias with major presences in Orario.

"I and the Shalzard people have no problems with it as well, Bell. If there is any way we can assist in your effort, don't hesitate to call upon us. Though we may be lacking in comparison to the adventurers, our people will not lose in number and spirit"

Arry declared with a gentle smile on her face.

Hearing the king's words, Bell smiled as well in response to her gesture. Her words became the perfect transition for Bell's plans for the alliance.

"Then I will immediately take you up on that offer, your majesty. Because I will be fully utilizing every resource and capability provided to me… Lord Hermes, since I'm assuming someone else has sent you here, can I assume that your backer is willing to support the alliance as well?"

Hermes listened to Bell's suggestion and smiled that he was aware that he had been sent by another party to Kaios in order to investigate Evilus. Specifically, he had been ordered by Ouranos to have his familia enter the fray as a proxy for Orario, and as with any proxy, Hermes was supplied with the appropriate resources to perform his task.

Taking out a piece of paper from his tunic, Hermes raised numerous blank cheques from different regional banks near the Kaios.

Ouranos has given Hermes access to discrete funds he had set up around the world using excess profits from the guild. A reserve that the god had set up in order to effectively repel concerning threats of the world, whilst maintaining his image as an impartial ruler and overseer of the dungeon city.

"No worries, Bell. Financial problems will not be a problem at all~"

Hermes said whilst connecting his thumb and index finger into a circle. The god's eyes flashed with monetary greed as Asfi sighed at his unsightly behavior.

Freya watched the rapport her beloved Bell was having with Hermes and decided to intervene by one-upping the god in front of her.

'Hermes is probably using funds from Ouranos, but try as Ouranos might to accumulate wealth, it will always be limited due to its discrete nature'

Freya smiled before announcing her familia's financial support in Bell's endeavor. Wishing to decrease the relevance Hermes and his familia played in her beloved's plans.

"If money is an issue, just take as many funds as you need out of my familia's account, Bell"

Freya said as she crossed her legs beneath the table and rested her face gently upon her hands.

"Who knows what trick Hermes might pull on you after you borrow funds from his hands? It's also quite a bad thing to enter negotiations with people who hide their identities, you know?"

"I will guarantee that you would go into debt and we know and trust each other plenty… so just rely on this goddess for all your needs, alright?"

As Freya declared her intent, Hermes narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He could recognize what the goddess of beauty was trying to attempt. Though they were all in agreement in their intent to support Bell Cranel, it will now be a battle as to who would occupy the most relevance and importance in his mind.

'So is this how you want to play, Freya?...'

Hermes, not wanting to be upstaged like this, decided to bite on Freya's provocation.

"You need not trouble yourself, Lady Freya. It will take some time before the funds can be transferred from the nearest banks outside the Kaios. My beloved children are already on their way, so you really don't have to…"

Freya then replied nonchalantly to the god's arguments.

"I appreciate your concern, Lord Hermes. But my children have been lacking in exercise in recent times, and my dear Allen appears to be in need of some fresh air with a healthy sprint… so I'm sure some traveling to and from the Kaios to the nearest banks won't be an issue for them"

Hermes' annoyance rose even more as Freya rebutted his arguments.

The god knew fully well that Freya's children didn't lack exercise with their constant near-death sparring with their comrades, and that she just wanted to kick out Allen as an eyesore for his previous actions.

Freya and Hermes then descended into a constant back and forth as to who would become the more relevant supporter of Bell during this conflict, all the while Arry could only sit back and watch in amazement.

She had consulted her treasurer of their nation's funds, and to simplify the report she had heard, she would become a laughing stock for even daring to enter such a cock-measuring contest of financial ability.

"..."

But as the alliance fell into a series of arguments and pitiable silence, Bell could only smile as he watched his resources for the future grow more and more.

'I was already satisfied if they could provide an acceptable amount for the alliance, but with this competition between the three groups on who will be able to contribute the most… the future for those Behemoths is looking bleaker and bleaker with each passing second'

Bell smiled insidiously as he could feel his plans solidify more and more with each new resource that would become available to him. If he played his cards right, he would be able to not only repel the Behemoth threat but also establish Shalzard as an undisputed superpower in the Kaios region and perhaps a noticeable power on the world stage.

'It would also be beneficial to get rid of the threat in the black desert. I had planned to deal with it in the future. Who knew that I would have my timetable accelerated… it's like someone's purposefully fucking with me right now'

Bell thought as he wondered what other possible changes might happened to the timeline due to his presence. But before he could delve into speculation of the future with his past life's knowledge, his eyes fell upon the curious spirit Eos who was watching in wonder at Freya and Hermes who continued to argue with one another.

'Spirit of the dawn under the god Helios, Eos… the sister of the spirit that had been implanted into the Grand Behemoth by Angra Mainyu. Turning the monster into a demi-spirit… how would she fit into my plans?'

Bell started to plan for the unknown variable he hadn't expected in this situation.

Spirits in the world of Danmachi weren't elaborated upon greatly, due to their intrinsic nature being extremely relevant to Ais Wallenstein's backstory with her mother, the Great Spirit Aria.

'All I know is that they're capable of changing forms based on their needs, and they possess an ability to make contracts with mortals. Funneling their patron god's divine power into a mortal's body to allow them to become stronger. The system that served as the inspiration for the current system of Falna'

Bell recalled the numerous powers that contracted spirits gave to their contractors.

An invisible shield that blocks monsters and a lightning-swift mount for Fianna and Dim when they were contracted to the spirit Finegas.

A lightning sword that tore away monsters and increased the wielder's reflexes and strength for Argonaut when he was contracted to the Great Spirit Jupiter.

And though it is still speculation, the Great Spirit Aria possibly gave Albert the necessary strength to wound the Black Dragon. Something that not even the full force of Zeus and Hera's familia could accomplish.

Taking all of this into consideration, Bell knew fully well just how powerful a spirit like Eos could be. Especially given her relationship with the Grand Behemoth.

'Her light could temporarily persuade the Grand Behemoth from acting, as per the reports of the Hermes familia… she will definitely play a major role in the future battle, the question is how?'

Bell thought about it for a while, but no matter how much he thought, there were simply too many unknown variables for him to comfortably put Eos as the centerpiece of his plans.

'I'll just leave it for another time… I heard most spirits tend to be rather reserved with information regarding their people and only open up to their contractors… but although it would be interesting to enter a spirit contract, it's something that would be detrimental to my growth'

Bell decided to not try and persuade Eos into becoming his contracted servant for an obvious reason. The growth path that came with the contracts of spirits was severely limited in comparison to falna.

'Spirits are like an antenna that allows mortals to utilize small bits of their patron god's powers, so their growth would be centered around the authorities their patron gods possess'

Jupiter would allow a person to grow with abilities around lightning. Aria for wind. Finegas would be an all-rounder due to Goibiu being a god of smithing.

'Following this trend, given that Eos declared her patron to be Helios, it would be best to assume her abilities center around fire or heat… and it's something that I'm not particularly interested in centering myself around'

Bell had his projection magecraft, so he wasn't in need of diversifying his skillset. UBW was already high enough in terms of its utility.

'Besides, even if I did want to request a contract from Eos… I think she already has her eyes set on someone else'

Bell thought as he smiled at the spirit's poor attempt to hide her eyes straying towards Arry. The vigilante found the sight simply adorable to watch and was satisfied if Arry were to become her contractor.

'This would solve my concern about her safety in the future… and I'm growing curious as to what Eos sees in Arry… perhaps it's her eyes?'

Bell thought as he recalled a tidbit of lore in regards to spirits, that being their ability to peer through peculiarities in the souls of mortals.

'Jupiter was able to notice the abundant fate in Argonaut's soul, and Finegas was able to notice the Bloodfury Spear within both Fianna and Dim. So it's possible Eos saw something within Arry as well'

Bell had no doubt that such a thing was possible since Freya highlighted her soul as being special in the side story. Though it was never elaborated upon besides being a soul fit for a king.

Arriving at this conclusion, Bell smiled at the good fortune that was now descending upon the king of Shalzard at this moment. Something he found quite ironic after he swore to never rely on miracles again to achieve victory.

'Well, though I said I wouldn't rely on miracles, I won't deny them should they ever come my way… and even if Arry's connecting with Eos falls through, my weapons alone will be enough'

Bell thought as he resolved himself. Removing himself from his thoughts and returning back to reality, he began to notice Freya and Hermes were continuing to argue about who would be the financial provider for his operation. Not wasting time with their bickering, Bell clapped his hands to gain their attention.

? ? ? ?

"-?!"

Freya and Hermes were caught off-guard by the sudden noise. Turning their heads, they were met with the face of Bell who simply smiled at them both with an ominous aura.

"I'm glad to know that I have such capable allies in this battle… but let's not waste time on this pointless cock-measuring contest, and move on to the actual plant, alright?"

Hearing Bell's words, Hermes and Freya began to correct themselves in order to heed his wishes. Hermes laughed awkwardly whilst Freya simply went red in her cheeks in slight embarrassment for the sight she had shown Bell.

Seeing what was happening, Arry's opinion of Bell rose even higher as she saw him take control of the situation from the two gods. Something she thought wasn't possible given the standings between mortals and the divine.

"As expected of Bell"

Beyond the king's deepening admiration, Bell began to resume his talk and started outlining his plans for the alliance in the next four months.

Since he had been given a blank cheque by Ouranos, Hermes, and Freya. Bell fully intends to make the most out of it all. Smiling to himself as he wondered just how expensive this would all be once he was finished.

"The alliance will be in need of two things. Materials for the production of weapons, and means for personal growth. I will start outlining our first objective before moving on to the next one"

As Bell began to speak, members of all three factions in the alliance began to take careful note of what he was saying. Making sure all minutes of the meeting would be tracked and taken care of for future referencing.

"Lord Hermes, I want your familia to start gathering information about suppliers. People who can provide adequate forges, materials, and near high smiths"

"Though I am able to handle the production of the properties that will make the weapons capable of harming Behemoths, it is impossible for a single person to be responsible for arming an entire army"

"It also goes without saying that a lot of high-end materials will be consumed in the creation of the weapons, so I will need a high amount of materials"

Bell detailed that he would need an immense amount of materials in order to create the weapon he envisioned. Noticing this, Hermes decided to question Bell as to which materials he will need to be ordered in bulk… this choice would become something that he would come to regret.

"Adamantium"

"... eh?"

Hermes thought his ears had failed for a moment.

"... sorry about this, Bell. But I think I misheard you for a moment there. Because I thought you were asking to be supplied with adamantium in bulk… HAHAHAHAHA-"

"But I did say Adamantium"

Hermes' laughter died out as an awkward silence fell upon him and Bell.

"B-Bell… Adamantite weapons aren't something that can be afforded by every soldier in a force. Not even the largest familias can afford such a thing"

Hermes began to reason with Bell as to the absurdity of his request, but Bell picked up on the god's cues and immediately went to quell his concern.

"Oh! You thought I was going to supply every soldier with Adamantite weapons, Lord Hermes? Of course, that's impossible! HAHAHAHA!"

Bell began to heartily laugh. Hermes too was about to begin laughing, but Bell cut him off before he even had the chance.

"I will just supply every soldier with weapons that have small traces of Adamantium infused into their alloy. Even a tiny percentage goes a long way to reinforce the structure you know?"

"..."

Hermes went even more silent than before. Bell's revelation wasn't exactly comforting as through Hermes' rough calculations, it would be able to fit into their budget… but it would nearly drain all the discrete funds Ouranos had accumulated since the founding of the guild.

"..."

As Hermes sat in silence as he calculated the costs of such an expenditure, Freya saw this as an opportunity to finally one-up the god in front of her.

"Bell, since Hermes is lacking the necessary conviction, I will graciously pick up on his slack and begin trade negotiations. You won't need to rely on an ally who hesitates on vital expenditures like these, right?"

As Freya attempted to solidify her familia's position in the alliance, Hermes immediately caught onto the goddess' power grab and immediately closed off her offer.

"There will be no need, Lady Freya. I was simply examining the cost expenditures relevant to the request. Who said I wasn't on board with Bell's request?"

The two divine beings began to compete once more for dominance in the alliance Bell had created. Something he was more than happy to accommodate.

Bell began to list a series of materials ranging from other lesser expensive metals like Nosteel and Blood Onyx metal, to additional materials like monster parts that will aid in the construction process as well.

It became a bidding war between the Freya familia and the Hermes-Ouranos familias. A waste of money on a scale that Arry and her advisors didn't think was possible began to unfold right then and there. But before the king could feel more self-conscious about her kingdom's contributions to this effort, Bell began to outline a plan for Arry and her people to embark on.

"Though Freya and Hermes will handle the bulk purchasing of many materials, much of it will take a while before they can arrive here… as such, it will best to supply locally so that we can start some production while we wait for the shipments to arrive"

Bell said while Freya and Hermes busied themselves in coordinating the effort to gather the supplies they had attained the winning bid for.

Hearing that they would be able to prove themselves useful, Arry and her advisors immediately began to listen for what Bell's plans were… and to say the least, it was something they did not expect.

"Extort them"

"... eh?-"

Arry thought her ears failed just like Hermes' a few moments prior, but Bell was ready to make sure the king had heard him correctly.

"Extortion, your majesty"

Bell began to outline his plan for the Shalzard kingdom to extort their fellow desert nations for all that they were worth.

"Your majesty, your nation is now in an alliance with the major Hermes familia, the world-renowned Freya familia, and the famous Gray Ghost. Upon your back are allies that could turn this region into their personal playground if they wanted to"

As Bell began to explain in depth his reasoning, Arry and her advisors began to unknowingly shiver at the coldness that was being displayed in Bell's gray eyes.

"Resheph and his loose following of cronies were able to strike fear into the deserts of Kaios… so how would a well-organized familia perform in comparison to them? I'm sure you are getting a clearer picture, your majesty?"

Arry began to slowly nod to Bell's words, but he wasn't done just yet. The vigilante knew that using threats in negotiations would sour his king's future prospects as a ruler, so for every sour, there has to be a reasonable sweetness to counterbalance it.

"But you need not rely solely on threats in negotiating for supplies, your majesty. Your nation and its people are the valiant fighters fighting on the frontline of a world-scale horde of monsters… surely the neighboring desert nations would find it in their hearts to support such a valiant cause, right?"

Bell knew that an appropriate amount of enticing rewards is needed alongside an appropriate threat in order to effectively obtain something in a hard-pressed negotiation. Something he had learned after interrogating numerous criminals in the streets of Orario.

He knew that the monarchs and rulers of the desert nation would recognize the positive publicity that came with donating supplies to a nation in need and assisting in the elimination of a group of heinous monsters.

Such an act would become a good mark on a ruler's tenure on the throne… but only a select few who donated the most will receive the spotlight and gain recognition for their acts.

'There's a reason only the major powers are talked about in most history classes. This isn't a scam… this is simply best utilizing human behavior and disposition for our own benefit~'

Bell smiled gently despite his thought being able to be easily classified as insidious.

"So you and your advisors will be in charge of obtaining generous 'donations' for our war effort… and keep in mind to not appear overly prideful by requesting a certain amount of goods, your majesty…"

"?????? ??????? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ???????"

Bell was giving the neighboring rulers a chance to enter Arry's good graces early before she would become the desert's hegemon. In his eyes, this was nothing more than a great act of charity to these kings and rulers before they would inevitably be deposed, and have their nations subsumed into Shalzard.

"..."

Arry and her advisors were quiet for a moment. The Shalzard people had grown meek and cautious as they suffered the consequences of having their nation taken from them by Warusa and Resheph, but they were once a proud people who established themselves as a major trading nation in the past… now that Bell had reignited their lost spark of pride, the Shalzard kingdom will no longer bow their heads anymore.

"Leave it to us, Bell. We will make sure to secure enough 'donations' for the alliance"

Arry declared with a gentle smile, but as her amethyst eyes crossed with Bell's gray eyes, the two knew what the other was thinking deep in their hearts. Beyond the medium of sound, Bell and Arry began to laugh like a pair of villains.

Bell began to list down the numerous 'kind-hearted requests' Arry and her advisors would pose to the neighboring desert nations.

Beyond the obvious metals for the making of weapons, rations, desert ships, currency, and a slew of other miscellaneous items will be requested as well.

In addition to that, the first target Bell and Arry set their sights on for their mission of charity… was the nation of Warusa.

'Though Warusa is a nation that subsisted off of pillaging and conquest, the ruling class enjoyed a life of wealth and splendor whilst giving the bare minimum to the rest of their populace'

'Their military campaigns were made to sustain the lifestyle of the wealthy… so I'm sure they won't mind abstaining from their ways for the sake of all mortal kind'

Bell thought as he recalled what little was described of Warusa from his past life.

The resistance also gained an abundance of intelligence from the administrative personnel they were able to hold on to during the escape from Sorshana, so it was an ideal first target for Arry and her advisors to test with.

Finishing the delegation of tasks to the Shalzard kingdom, Bell moved on to the last source of materials.

"All level five adventurers and above of the Freya familia, I have a special task I will be assigning you all to"

Bell called upon the adventurers of the Freya familia who all began to look to him.

Their gazes were less hostile compared to before. Bell attributed this to a combination of his current display, the confrontation he had with Allen, and the pressure exuded from both Freya and Ottar.

'It looks like they'll be much easier to handle now'

Bell smiled to himself as he began to speak about their assigned tasks. It was a simple task that needed neither political maneuvering nor much critical thought.

"Kill all the straggling Behemoths please"

Bell declared with a nonchalant gaze and tone. Something that elicited a similar response among them as it did in Arry and Hermes previously.

"... eh?"

The Freya familia adventurers were confused by what Bell was requesting of them, but he was dead set on this course of action. After he had realized the lore of Danmachi Memoria Freese was applicable to this world, he remembered about an immense boon that came with the detrimental fact of having numerous weaker Leviathans, Behemoths, and Black Dragons roaming the world… the fact that they all dropped high-quality materials that could be used for equipment.

'In Memoria Freese, the Behemoth would drop its claw, fang, bone, and horn. All of these are needed to craft end-game weapons and armor that significantly boosted a unit's HP by leaps and bounds'

'I'm unsure whether or not the HP bonuses of the equipment in the game will translate to an actual effect towards a wielder's endurance, but even if it doesn't, the quality of the material is high-end. I will be able to forge numerous quality weapons if I get my hands on them'

As Bell thought through his reasons for desiring the Behemoth's drop items, Hedin was able to figure out his intentions. Speaking up before any of his comrades could question Bell as to why he wanted their group to hunt for straggling Behemoths.

"That will be possible to accomplish, Bell Cranel. Our scouts were able to spot a few smaller Behemoths that wander around the perimeter of Sorshana and beyond the reach of the storm of black ash… however, I would like to inquire about one thing"

As Hedin spoke, he made sure to keep a non-confrontational tone. Though he did hold some resentment for Bell, he knew all too well as a strategist how to keep a cool head with a fiery heart.

"What might that be, Hedin Selland?"

Bell responded to Hedin's inquiry. Curious as to what his concern may be.

"Though you ask us to simply believe in your capabilities to produce results, I still find it puzzling to figure out how you would be able to manage drop items from a monster like the Behemoth and precious metals like Adamantium"

"Blacksmiths over take years and immense dedication of their falna towards smithing in order to achieve the necessary skills and development abilities to handle such materials… might I be able to ask what allows you to perform such a feat?"

Hedin declared his question and in an instant, the whole meeting hall fell into silence and began to watch over both Hedin and Bell.

But before the elf strategist was hit with the same glares Allen had received prior, Bell spoke and answered his question before such intent could be manifested.

"Seeing as we'll be working together, I think it should be fine to reveal a bit of information… though please understand that I won't be revealing much beyond the name of my ability, Hedin Selland"

Bell spoke with a smile that exuded neither hostility nor offense, something that relieved Hedin as he began to feel the weakening of his captain's pressure and his goddess' divine aura towards himself.

As Bell declared his intention to answer Hedin's question, all the people in the room began to listen attentively to Bell's words.

Though their knowledge regarding who Bell was differed from person to person, they all shared the commonality of being unaware of the nature and functioning of Bell's powers.

The abilities which enabled his many feats across his tenure as a vigilante still remained a mystery to them all, and it was the hope of them all that perhaps this single moment might shed some light as to the identity of his powers.

"... Alteration… that is the name of the magecraft that would allow me to handle such high-end materials"

Bell said with a gentle smile.

"Alteration… magecraft…"

In an instant from Bell's statement, the room fell into speculation as to what Bell's words could've meant. Though outside of a select few, it was nothing more than repeating what he had said in repeat.

"Asfi… have you ever heard of a skill, magic, or development ability like that?"

Hermes said in a lowered tone to his captain, to which Asfi could only give a negative response to her god's question.

"I have never heard of such a name appearing in any recorded instance of a status. Perhaps it's a case of an original ability exclusive to Bell?"

While Hermes and his familia pondered about its possible connection to falna, Freya, and Hedin were instead going through a different line of deduction. A line of deduction that questioned why Bell had used the term 'magecraft' instead of 'magic'.

'Perhaps his ability has roots in the traditional elvish magic system? I will need to inquire about more information regarding the subject'

Hedin thought to himself as he wished to understand Bell Cranel more. The elf strategist knew it was an inevitability for Bell to become his goddess' companion, so he figured it would be a more efficient use of his time to formulate his future plans while incorporating Bell in every scenario. Something that would require an in-depth understanding of every facet of who he was.

'In all my years of existence and I can't seem to find any semblance of related knowledge to what Bell had said… I doubt he's lying, so his power must've escaped the knowledge of the gods or was a recent development in this age… how mysterious you continue to be, my beloved Odr'

Freya thought as she realized she had more to uncover about the man she loved dearly. Something which was seen as good in the goddess' eyes.

'The more things you keep hiding, Bell… the more I can savor the enjoyment of unraveling them… ???… ??… ???~"

Freya giggled to herself quietly as she could barely contain her excitement at what the future held in store for herself and Bell.

'Looks like my information is being received well… it's not the best idea to become hostile with the adventurers of the Freya familia, even if their jealousy gets the better of them… after all, I plan for them to become my subordinates in the future'

Bell thought to himself as he performed a quick glance through the Freya familia's forces who were currently pondering on his words.

Bell knew that in the original story, the Freya familia would dissolve after the original Bell had triumphed over them in a war game. Disappearing into the shadows as their goddess forsook her identity as Freya and began to live simply as Syr.

'It's simply too much of a waste for so many talented adventurers to go into hiding… that's why I will maintain an appropriate level of decorum with them. It's not very efficient for hostility to be present in a chain of command'

Bell concluded his thoughts for the far future before turning back to reality.

As the meeting hall continued to speculate on his words, Bell regained their attention with his voice as he began to outline the last of his plans.

"You will have all the time to ponder about my abilities another time, for now, let us go back to the establishment of our alliance's plans"

As Bell's voice reached the ears of those present in the meeting hall, order was once again established as the vigilante began to move to the next agenda on the list.

"With the sourcing of materials established, let us move on to the next objective. Personnel growth"

"I will keep it brief. In short, I plan for every member of the Shalzard kingdom's fighting force to become blessed with falna"

Bell's statement was met with a wave of surprise from all factions of the alliance.

The Shalzard kingdom's fighting force numbered numerous thousands. To make such a force enter the familia of a god to receive falna, such a thing will require immense coordination and planning. That is not to mention the political destabilization it would cause for a nation.

"Bell, I'm sure you're well aware, but for such a thing to be feasible you would need to turn Shalzard into a nation-type familia for any semblance of stability"

Hermes commented on Bell's statement, which was quickly followed by Freya's own thoughts.

"Most gods and goddesses won't be content to simply stow away in such a large chance to grab power, Bell. Many of our people desire a nation-type familia. If they are presented with the offer to establish such a familia with the assistance of mine and Hermes' forces, it will be a bloodbath for supremacy"

Freya said as she recalled her memories from the descent of the gods a thousand years prior. It was a constant struggle for power that was only silenced after Zeus and Hera were able to establish their dominance.

But even then, there were heaps upon heaps of smaller conflicts. Until a hierarchy was firmly established from top to bottom, there would always be conflict.

"..."

Bell listened to the two gods' comments. He knew plenty well what they were both talking about. He had witnessed numerous gods and goddesses enter bloody disputes in the criminal underworld of Orario with their children.

The first thing that would usually be suggested is for either Hermes or Freya to take in the Shalzard people into their familia. But Hermes' operations would work much more smoothly if his children were smaller in number, and Freya would only take in children who were worthy enough in her eyes.

But though Bell could see the various drawbacks such a choice would give, it was something he couldn't back down on.

"The fight with the Behemoths will become an extremely grueling conflict that will require the physical abilities that can only be seen from a storied army that has undergone numerous battles… we don't have enough time to instill such abilities into the Shalzard people in the time we have, so falna is an absolute necessity"

As Bell spoke, Arry and her advisors were silent. Though this was a radical change for their kingdom, none among them could fight back against the points provided by Bell.

Their capital was now being held hostage by monsters of incomparable strength and size. A monster that could trample any civilization with ease. The normal strength of a mortal will not be enough to leave any meaningful impact in the battle.

The Shalzard kingdom was now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Either they accept the influence of the divine into their way of life and governing body, or they enter the fray of a war of giants with their feeble mortal selves.

"..."

The advisors looked upon their king who was silent in deliberation.

Arry's face was wrinkled as she tried to come up with a method that could serve as the best of both choices for her nation. To receive the blessings of the gods without risking political stability, but Bell began to speak before she could formulate an idea that achieved both goals.

"That is why we will handpick which gods will be allowed to establish their familias in Shalzard and artificially hasten their growth. We will essentially be forming a puppet familia"

Bell said with a determined gaze, his words causing a shocked expression to run across Hermes and Freya's faces.

Because he was essentially desecrating the sanctity of the divine. Bell was seeing gods and goddesses as nothing more than another pawn for his operation.

"We can begin by looking through gods and goddesses who have a disposition toward charity, justice, and kindness. Divine beings governing justice or generally positive aspects of life would be most ideal"

Bell said so as he referenced gods such as Astraea and Ganesha. Divine beings who ruled over justice and the removal of obstacles respectively.

Influenced by their authorities as gods, they generally held a positive and charitable personality that reflected in their familia governing styles and disposition toward the use of their powers and capabilities.

Bell's ideal plan would be to incorporate such gods and goddesses into Shalzard in order to lessen the friction between familias and the governance of the royal family, but in the case that no such divinity is available, he had another alternative.

"Should such gods and goddesses not be available, I have a list of rogue gods and goddesses who are still present in Gekai. We can hold their crimes above their heads in order to force compliance and reduce any possible friction… but such a choice should obviously be the last choice taken"

Bell continued outlining his possible approaches on how to best cultivate the presence of the divine within Shalzard with as minimal drawbacks as possible, all the while the people in the meeting hall simply stood in shocked silence with how Bell was dismissing the divine as just another resource.

"..."

Asfi watched in silence as her friend continued to speak so nonchalantly.

Though she wasn't much of a religious person herself, she, along with many others, still held a boundary that was not to be crossed regarding the divine.

"Lord Hermes…"

Asfi nervously called out to her god. Though she knew her god was generally laid-back, the familia captain knew that many divine beings still held a level of pride that could never be broken or trampled upon without consequence.

Not wanting her friend to gain the ire of the divinities present, Asfi made a move to ascertain her god's response to Bell's actions. But before she could do so, both Hermes and Freya began to resound faint noises.

"Lord Hermes?... Lady Freya?..."

Asfi began to grow more and more anxious. If her friend gained the ire of the gods, she would move to immediately defend him from any accusation. She knew that Bell was the last person to hold such views against the god folk… but after having seen her friend return a god to Tenkai by his own hands, Asfi knew it would be a hard case to win. But before she could begin to speak, Hermes and Freya erupted in noise.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-"

The two gods laughed loudly as they watched in shock at how little Bell feared the divine. Not out of offended disbelief, but from a genuine reaction from finding the situation hilarious.

"HAHAHAHA…y ou really are the only person I know who could so easily belittle gods like that, Bell"

Hermes said as he struggled to not lose himself in another fit of laughter.

"You really are too hilarious, Bell. Though I would usually be offended by such a remark… it seems charming when it comes from you"

Freya followed up as she gazed at Bell with a more fervent look in her eyes. She could never seem to grow tired of being by his side, and the goddess enjoyed every single second spent alongside him.

Seeing the two gods' reactions, Bell could only awkwardly reply with his own smile. Unable to comment much on his indifference towards the divine.

'After growing up alongside Grandpa Zeus alongside my knowledge of my past life, it's hard for me to really fear the divine… even if I do end up tormented for eternity in the afterlife, after reincarnating, it doesn't really matter to me what happens when I kick the bucket… if I can in the first place…'

Bell thought as he remembered that he now had his own version of 『Avalon』inside his body. He didn't know if it possessed the anti-aging properties of the original, so it was something Bell planned to test over the course of his second life in Danmachi.

As Hermes and Freya's laughter slowly died down, they both began to cooperate with Bell in the search for appropriate gods and goddesses to provide the Shalzard people with falna.

Hermes possessed extensive knowledge of the social circles of Tenkai and had many contacts he could make use of. Meanwhile, Freya held many favors owed to her by numerous gods and goddesses, so she planned to make use of them to assist in the effort.

Seeing the lengths Bell, Hermes, and Freya were going to strengthen the nation of Shalzard, Arry could only bow down in gratitude as she thanked all three of them for everything they were doing.

A gesture that was met with amusement from Freya as she attributed her cooperation to being charmed by the king, Hermes stating it was in line with his goals for his mission, and Bell simply stating that it was natural for the king's servant to do this much.

Moved by their generosity, Arry further delved into her work.

Working into the night, the meeting hall continued to be filled with chatter as the alliance continued to further solidify their plans for the future. After a couple more hours of deliberation and clarification, Bell adjourned the alliance's first meeting.

…

..

.

The calm night of the desert wrapped around the city of Merkabah, where the alliance was currently occupying as their base of operations.

The chatter of the streets grew quiet as all the people fell into a slumber, haggard by the day of fighting and resting. But though they came from a harrowing defeat, their spirits were far from broken.

After the announcement of an alliance between the Freya familia, Hermes familia, and Shalzard kingdom was made. Alongside the fact that it would be headed by the Gray Ghost. The people were overjoyed and ecstatic.

Hope had yet to die out. The flames of Shalzard continued to burn just as brightly as before.

"So I've finally shown my real identity to more people. Though it's only for the representatives of each faction in the alliance for now, my time as a vigilante is slowly coming to an end… perhaps this fight will be the last one I perform as the Gray Ghost…"

Watching over the city as the people slept, Bell could be found atop a balcony from his personal room in the city governor's home. Quietly talking to the night sky as he voiced out his thoughts with only himself as an audience.

"I made sure to remind the representatives to keep my identity a secret for the meantime, but it doesn't really matter if it gets leaked or not, it would just change my approach in the future just a tiny bit"

Bell said as he slowly landed his eyes on the balcony of the room where Freya and Arry were currently sleeping in. A room situated at the very top of the governor's home. Usually, he would be watching the room like a hawk for any intruders, but Bell was now relieved of such a duty.

With the presence of the Freya and Hermes familia, there was little need for him to watch over his king and the goddess Freya as they slept.

Freya continued to sleep together with Arry upon her unstoppable insistence. Something which elicited a smile from Bell as he watched the adorable king bashfully struggle to escape Freya's loving embrace.

"Freya and Arry are really too adorable…"

Bell said to himself as he took in the night breeze that blew past his skin.

His gray eyes glance over his scarred arm where he could feel the cold embrace of the wind. The sight neither invoked shock, anger, or sadness in his mind. Only a vague feeling of acceptance was felt within him.

'I suppose it's only natural. Projection magecraft can use the materials of the body to substitute magical energy for projections, which leads to the dark skin, white hair, and gray eyes of Archer Emiya… it was only a matter of time until it happened to me as well'

Bell thought as he continued observing his scars.

He wasn't repulsed much by his damaged body. If anything, he rather liked how it looked. It was a constant reminder for him to always be wary and prepared, and it was proof of the path he had taken.

'Though I don't plan on fully deteriorating my body as Emiya did in the future. It will make things harder to explain to the people I know… I can't exactly explain how a white-skinned boy suddenly changed skin tones permanently'

Bell chuckled lightly as he imagined the horrified shock of Eina.

He knew without a doubt that the half-elf would keep him under constant observation out of paranoia… something that he didn't mind much. He greatly missed his advisor's endless amounts of concern and care greatly.

'Artemis would probably start taking care of me like before… Athena would no doubt begin researching a way to reverse it… Lili would probably say something about burning whoever caused this to happen to me… and Medea would probably just tease me to no end…'

Bell began to imagine what every single person he had met would do if they could see him now.

'Aunt Idyia would probably start feeding me in the hopes that it's just malnutrition… Grandpa Zeus would definitely just start laughing… I wonder what Freya thinks of it? I wasn't able to ask earlier, but I think I saw her lick her lips for a moment…'

But before Bell could indulge in his thoughts longer, he soon began to feel the presence of someone approaching him. A presence that exuded immense strength without any need to exert any force.

?????… ?????… ?????...

Soon, the figure was standing in front of the door to Bell's room. Knocking gently in order to make his presence known to Bell.

Stepping down from the balcony, Bell began to make his way to the door. Opening the wooden entrance slowly, a tall and imposing figure soon reached Bell's eyes. Someone he knew all too well.

"Thanks for coming over, Ottar"

Bell greeted the captain of the Freya familia, and the world's current strongest adventurer.

"It is my pleasure to receive your calls, Lord Bell"

Ottar responded with a deep voice. His eyes neither looked down on Bell nor put him on a pedestal. He simply viewed the vigilante as another person. Something Bell particularly liked.

"I won't take up much of your time, Ottar. So just step inside for now. It will only take a moment"

As Bell invited Ottar into his room, the beastman quietly accepted his offer as he began to slowly walk inside.

Ottar simply stood in silence as his eyes tracked Bell in curiosity. He had not expected to be called upon by his goddess' lover in private.

The beastman was curious as to what he had planned for him. After his meeting with the alliance a few hours ago, Ottar's evaluation of Bell had risen significantly. The beastman always knew that he was a person of commendable intelligence with the way he had worked as a vigilante, but after seeing how he took charge of such a large and complex operation, Ottar couldn't help but admire Bell's qualities as a leader.

'Mia had to forcefully beat the basics of being a familia captain into me when I was younger. There's no way I would've been able to handle so many responsibilities…'

Ottar thought as he reminisced on the past.

Outside of anything that didn't involve his goddess' well-being, fighting, and the dungeon, Ottar wasn't well equipped to do any other mentally straining task. Preferring much more to simply beat his problems away.

But before he could delve into his thoughts, Bell went up to him once more. This time with a cup of tea in his hands that he was offering to the familia captain.

"Tea? I saw that you were taking a point at the eastern city wall's lookout. This brew will help you stay awake and focused"

Ottar was silent for a moment as Bell explained the benefits of the tea, but he soon accepted it graciously.

"You have my thanks, Lord Cranel"

As Ottar held and drank the tea, Bell commented on the way he was referring to himself.

"There's no need to call me 'Lord', Ottar. Bell is just fine"

Bell said with a gentle smile on his face. Ottar was silent once more for a few moments before nodding his head to accept Bell's request.

"As you wish, Bell"

Bell could only smile as he continued to observe Ottar's behavior. Outside of combat situations and instances where his goddess' safety and pride were on the line, Ottar was nothing more than a gentle giant in the current time of the world.

'If I remember correctly, he used to be way more violent in the past. But after being taught by Mia and receiving his final lesson from Zald, he came way more mellow as he took to be his goddess' aide more than an adventurer…'

Bell thought to himself as he prepared his own cup of tea. Perusing his memories of his past life for all the information he had on Ottar.

'Though he is gentle right now, in truth he is simply a dormant beast awaiting a new challenge. His growth has stagnated at the peak of level seven with a majority of his stats at rank S… and I plan to awaken this beast once more'

Bell smiled as he prepared to vitalize the warrior's spirit sleeping inside of Ottar. Though he originally planned to use his own growth to spark growth within Ottar like the original Bell, now that he was in the Kaios region with the Behemoths, Bell knew a different method to ignite that spark.

'Ottar admires Zald greatly. The reason he had leveled up quickly was in an attempt to surpass his idol of the Zeus familia… though he did achieve victory during the dark age of Orario, I know that Ottar still felt unsatisfied with their duel'

'After all, he had only won against a weakened Zald who was suffering from the poison of the Behemoth. There is no way his warrior spirit would accept such a handicapped victory… but now I'll give him another shot at redemption'

As Bell concluded his thoughts, he finished pouring his cup of tea before turning around to face Ottar once more. Finding the beastman curiously sipping on the tea. It appeared to Bell that the『King』was enjoying his personally brewed tea.

"I'll quickly get right into business, Ottar… I have a mission for you. Something that only someone of your caliber will be able to accomplish"

As Bell began to talk to Ottar, the beastman shifted his attention from the delicious tea in his hands to the words of the vigilante.

Ottar had no protests about having Bell become the leader of the alliance, so he quickly began to listen attentively to the mission he had set aside for him alone.

"I mentioned in our meeting a while ago that I will be producing weapons that will be capable of killing Behemoths. Many were obviously surprised by such a statement. Probably because they can't even begin to imagine what such a weapon would look like…"

"But truth be told, Ottar. I am not the first to make a weapon capable of killing Behemoths. In fact, such a weapon already exists…"

Bell's words ignited curiosity within Ottar's mind. He too was one of the people that failed to imagine a weapon that would be capable of killing Behemoths with ease.

But as his mind began to try and formulate an image of what such a weapon would look like using his years of experience as an adventurer, Ottar began to notice something. The further he followed that line of speculation, a sense of nostalgia began to slowly wrap around his mind.

"..."

Ottar silently continued to follow the line of thought until he finally reached his answer. He knew of the weapon Bell was talking about. The sole weapon in existence that could be described as a Behemoth-killing weapon.

"It's out there? His weapon?"

Ottar asked quietly to Bell if his speculation was true. The beastman's dormant spirit began to slowly burn brighter with each passing second.

His muscles slowly began to be filled with energy as his heartbeat grew faster and faster. His instincts were slowly waking up at the prospect of a new challenge he desperately wanted to overcome.

Soon, Ottar was smiling like a beast on the hunt.

"..."

Bell was silent as he watched the changes take over Ottar in that instant, but he also began to smile alongside the Boaz beastman. Speaking with confidence in order to confirm what the『King』realized.

"You're right, Ottar. His weapon exists out there. The only true Behemoth-killing weapon. Something I can never hope to surpass, even with all of my skills and abilities…"

Bell said as he met the gaze of Ottar. He could see the fire burning in his eyes. It was a sight that awakened Bell's own fighting spirit. Ottar's eagerness was an infectious aura.

"The sword that killed the Great King of the Land, Behemoth, in a single blow. Bearing the mark of the now gone Zeus familia, the weapon currently rests among the dunes of death ash in the black desert"

『??? ????? ?? ????』

An immense burst of aura filled Bell's room in an instant. Ottar's spirit burned brightly as Bell confirmed the last remnant of the warrior he so idolized. A figure he believed he had yet to surpass even after all this time.

Bell couldn't help but admire the sheer pressure Ottar exerted at that current moment. He was curious just how far it would go.

Ottar served as the level of strength Bell wanted to overcome in the future. But with his cheats, he knew that attaining a level of strength to overcome a level seven Ottar was only a matter of time.

'In this second life of mine, I will no longer take any half-measures… having a rival I know I can beat is simply too boring… so I will make sure my victory is the most satisfying it can be'

Bell had an additional goal he wanted to achieve beyond his matters with Arry, her kingdom, and securing the safety of the world.

?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?????

'Holding the weapon of Zald while fighting his greatest enemy? What other scenario could serve as the ideal moment for Ottar to level up?'

Bell smiled brightly as he eagerly looked forward to what the future lay in store for the undisputed 『King』

"I want you to travel the black desert and search for Zald's weapon, Ottar. I wish to reforge it and make it become stronger than it already is"

Bell said as he began to slowly approach Ottar. His ability to breathe grew more and more difficult the closer he approached the wild captain of the Freya familia. But he didn't stop for a moment. Fortifying himself with 『Reinforcement』with each step he took.

"Though I am making this request, Ottar. I understand if you wish to respect the passed Zald and choose not to tamper with his last remaining legacy on this world…"

Bell knew that Ottar valued Zald greatly, so the familia captain's excitement might dissipate and he would soon become more level-headed.

In order to not antagonize himself in the eyes of Ottar, Bell mentioned that it was his call on whether or not to go through with the plan of retrieving Zald's weapon.

"..."

As Ottar's aura began to slowly dissipate as he took back control, Ottar simply stared in silence towards Bell.

"..."

The two were locked in an intense exchange of gazes before Ottar suddenly stood up and began heading for the door.

But before he left, Ottar left a few words for Bell. Words that indicated his choice on whether or not he would go through with the mission.

"There's one thing you need to know about Zald, Bell. He could care less for things like pride and honor. So long as you meet him with conviction, that's all that matters…"

Ottar then turned his head slightly to meet Bell's eyes as he presented him with a question.

"Do you have the conviction, Bell Cranel? To inherit his legacy with the determination to carry the weight it entails?"

Ottar's aura burst forth even more fiercely than before. As his pressure began to exert itself on Bell, the vigilante had difficulty standing in front of the world's strongest adventurer. But after invoking his magic with all he had, Bell gazed back at Ottar as he declared his resolve.

"I will become a hero no matter what… so much so… that Zald cannot even begin to compare…"

As Bell's words reached Ottar's ears, the Boaz beastman could only smile widely at the blooming youth. It was at this moment that Ottar knew for sure about his hunch. The 『King』now knew that there was a worthy contender for this throne.

"Good answer. I'll get that sword, Bell. In the meantime… I'll be leaving Lady Freya to you alone"

Ottar said such before exiting Bell's room. Removing his oppressive aura on Bell as he slowly closed the wooden door.

As the sounds of his footsteps began to fade as he walked farther and farther away, only when they disappeared completely did Bell begin to recover from what had just happened.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa… haa… damn… Ottar really isn't undisputed for no reason…"

Bell said as he quickly began to gather breath to compose himself. Reminding himself to not grow too overly confident just yet. He still had a long way to go before he claimed the title of world's strongest… but his interaction with Ottar just now simply served to fuel the flames of his heart even more.

"HAHAHAHA! I really am looking forward to the future"

Bell clutched his chest tightly as his heart beat loudly.

All the pieces began to fall into place. Forming an image that grew clearer and clearer with each passing moment.

Bell had now completed the discovery of himself and his purpose through his journey, and he now had capable hands working by his side.

It was the realization of the goal he had set for himself when he first began his journey. To lead a group of people capable of changing the world.

It was temporary for now, but it would be Bell's personal test to see if he could fully realize his dream.

All he had to do now was work like nothing else mattered.

"One hundred and twenty days until reclamation… they say Batman could overcome anything with enough preparation, so let's see if the same applies to another vigilante like myself…"

Bell said as he set his eyes on the full moon hanging above.

With his heart and soul ablaze, Bell felt the most alive at the singular moment in time.

The moonlight reflected on his eyes, as his gray irises shifted to a brilliant light blue.

…

..

.

The brilliant rays of dawn cracked over the horizon's edge as morning soon came upon the city of Merkabah.

There was little noise in the early hours of dawn. The gentle sunlight had yet to fully awaken the thousands of sleeping souls within the city's high walls.

But as they all slept, a single soul was already eagerly moving up and about. Training her body intensely. Sweat ran down numerous defined muscles as the droplets swayed with the wind.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa… haa…"

Training so intensely at such an early hour of the day, Arry was currently practicing her swordsmanship in the comfort of a personal training hall. A place where the king need not worry about any of her vassals or subjects learning the truth of her birth.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa… haa…"

Without having to worry about being seen, Arry was now training her sword with little more than a few cloth wrappings around her chest and a pair of pants.

The light of the sun reflected brilliantly off of the sweat upon Arry's skin. The sheen of the sun highlighted the beauty of her tan skin. Aiding in complimenting her muscular figure which kept its alluring feminine allure.

Arry's body moved swiftly and dynamically as she practiced the sword style she had been taught by Bell during their time fighting against the armies of Warusa.

The king took up the sword in the belief that it would be able to aid in her dream of becoming a sword for her people. But as she continued to fight, as she continued to breathe, as she continued to perspire, more and more did Arry begin to realize another sentiment that drove her forward.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa… haa…"

A desire she had pushed down time and time again as a mere passing adoration. But as the feeling grew bigger and bigger, she then began to purposefully deny herself of its existence in her heart.

For she believed that a king should always prioritize the people over her sense of self. To work for the many rather than for one alone.

The throne is heavy and the crown heavier. To rule is to hold in your left hand the fate of the living thousands. To govern is to hold in your right hand the fate of the endless future souls who will come after you.

?? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?????

Such was the belief that drove Arry to where she was today. The creed that allowed her to take on so much torment and responsibility. Because she believed in the smiles of the people she saw at the end of such conviction.

The smiles of her parents, of her vassals, of her aides, of her people… it would all be worth it if she could see their smiles… but one smile began to blind Arry from all else.

A brilliant expression she could never seem to forget no matter how hard she tried.

『Your pursuit... as self-defeating and futile it may be… is undeniably beautiful』

The smile of her servant that fateful day… Arry could never seem to forget the genuine joy that radiated from his lips at that singular moment in time.

"..."

Arry's swift sword movements came to a halt as her memories of Bell took hold of her heart once more. The king was unable to remove the smile that plastered itself on her face as she remembered the vivid expression from the depths of her mind.

"Damn it…"

Arry cursed herself as she began to restart her sword movements once more. This was the tenth time she had to restart due to a mistake caused by the loud beating of her heart.

Bell was the new reason that Arry began to swing her sword fiercely. A driving force she had come to value beyond her long-held dream to become the king and sword of her people.

To reach the lonely world he stood in. To stand by his side and reassure him he wasn't alone. To see how he viewed the world. To understand the beauty he found in the things he admired. To have him rely upon her. So many desires sprung forth within Arry from a single person.

For the kingdom and her nation, Arry wished to see their smiles as they lived in a prosperous kingdom.

But for Bell, Arry wished to see him express all manner of happiness that life had to offer and to walk through it all alongside him.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa… haa…"

Arry swung her sword faster and faster. Her breath grew hastier and hastier. Her heartbeat became louder and louder until she could no longer take it.

"Damn it…"

Arry had her sword movements stopped once more. Her heart distracted her too much to focus solely on improving herself.

"It's all because Freya had to repeat all her moments with Bell as we slept… it's like she's torturing me…"

Arry spoke to herself as she cursed the goddess who smugly dangled the fruit she so desperately desired to partake herself.

"Bell…"

The king had undoubtedly fallen in love. To a point that no amount of stoicism could still her beating heart.

"Bell… Bell… Bell…"

Arry repeated the name of the man she loved, her loyal servant, her dutiful sword, her trusted friend, her wise teacher… everything she adored and admired in her short life was encapsulated in Bell alone.

Unable to handle the beating of her heart, Arry decided to stop her training and began to wipe her sweat-ridden face with a towel.

"Fuu…"

The king breathed out slowly as she began to rest her body from the intense training she had been performing. Steam rose from her body as her body temperature clashed with the cold air of dawn.

"Still, to think that I'm so idiotically in love like this… Bell's even younger than me by two years…"

(E/D: Hmm… Hoh… Hah… Oho...… FBI… I have a case to report… Yes, it is an illegal action that has been taken without a license… Thank you.)

Arry chastised her behavior. Despite being Bell's senior by two years, she was not only depending on him for everything but was hopelessly in adoration of someone far younger than herself.

"It's usually the older person that does the pining… at least, that's what I've learned as a royal…"

Arry had some experience in romance as she navigated her way through the numerous daughters of Shalzardian nobles who wished for their children to become the next queen of the nation.

The king had learned of the proper etiquette of her people when it came to courting and romance, but she doubted if her knowledge applied to a foreigner like Bell.

"I've heard there are some cultures that prefer older women… seeing how Bell is attracted to a primordial being like Freya… maybe I have a chance?"

Arry began to imagine the scenarios in her head. Something that elicited a smile on her face as she imagined what life would be like by Bell's side… only to be shattered after remembering how coldly she had rejected him during their bath together in the oasis.

"URGH-"

Arry's heart twisted in immense regret as she recalled what she now considered the greatest mistake of her life.

"I did that because I thought it was the best… but after Sorshana, I can't ever forget about Bell…"

Arry said with a pained voice. It was only when she stood to lose Bell forever did she realize just how much she wanted him. She was selfish at every moment of their time together.

Wanting him, then not wanting him, only to want him once more. Arry could only feel immense guilt build up in her chest as she thought about her desires for Bell.

"... ????… I used to find it funny how people turned idiotic when they fell in love… but now I'm only making a fool of myself…"

Arry hung her head as she trudged along the floor of the training ground, dealing with the pain of her heart once more as she moved.

"If only I learned to be selfish before… to selfishly want both the smiles of my people and of Bell… perhaps we might've already become something more…"

Arry said to herself as she began to prepare to take a bath, but before she could, she felt the sense of someone nearby the training hall.

"..."

Arry readied her sword by her grip as she slowly started approaching the location that her intuition was telling the intruder was in.

'There should be no hostile forces in the city… but the fact this person is hiding from them until now is suspicious…'

After deciding on her course of action, Arry positioned herself in prime striking range of the intruder's current position. A pillar that helped the structure around the training hall. After readying herself, Arry began to shout out in a loud voice that radiated a ruler's aura.

"Show yourself, intruder!"

At the instant Arry had resounded her voice, a faint click reached her ears. The king heightened her senses instantly, but after a few moments of silence, the figure began to show itself to Arry.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean anything bad…"

Arry was instantly relieved of her tension at the person who revealed themselves to her.

Sporting bright orange hair that seemed to glow, and displaying a short and youthful stature, Arry recognized quickly who the intruder was.

"You're the spirit… spirit of the dawn, Eos… right?"

Arry said as she took a moment to remember the spirit's name. Seeing that the king had remembered who she was, Eos immediately shifted from her expression of scared nervousness to one of joyful exuberance.

"Y-Yes! I am honored that your majesty remembered who I am! Spirit of the dawn under the patronage of the Lord Helios! Eos!"

Eos excitedly introduced herself as she began jumping up and down in joy. Her body appeared to be extremely light, as Arry began to observe the spirit jumping around as if gravity had little effect on her.

"I-I see. It's a pleasure to meet you once again, Eos… might I ask why you might be here?"

Arry questioned the spirit who was running circles around her. The king couldn't find it in herself to maintain her stern attitude around the child-like spirit.

'I know that spirits are long-lived… but no matter how I look at her, she looks and acts like a child…'

Arry had very few weaknesses. But children were one of her greatest weak points. She could never find it in herself to reject a child face-to-face.

As Eos heard Arry's question, she soon slowed down before remembering her objective in seeking out the king of the Shalzard kingdom.

"... Ah! I remember now! Your majesty! Your majesty!"

Eos excitedly called out to Arry as her eyes began to glow brightly. The sheer cuteness of the child spirit in front of the king began to weaken her heart with sheer cuteness.

"Yes? What is it, Eos?"

Arry spoke out with a smile on her face. Enjoying every innocent movement of the spirit in front of her. She no longer cared about the fact she was thousands of years older than herself. A child was a child no matter what.

As soon as Eos heard Arry's acceptance to hear her out, Eos' excitement rose through the roof as she declared her intent loud and clear.

"Please form a contract with me!"

As soon as Eos declared her request to Arry, silence fell between them both. Only after a while of processing what she had just said did Arry respond.

"... eh?"

Seeing the confusion on Arry's face, Eos repeated her request once more.

"Please form a contract with me to save my sister, your majesty!"

The spirit of the dawn's radiant light now eagerly awaited the answer of the stunned king.

"A contract? With me?..."

Arry asked with a tone of disbelief, to which Eos responded quickly to her questions.

"Yes!"

Arry's eyes began to glow slightly as she began to ascertain the truth of the spirit's words. But try as she might to use her natural skill of observation on the divine spirit, she simply couldn't seem to ascertain truths and falsehood from divine entities.

But before Arry could switch her method of approach, Eos noticed the faint power radiating in her eyes and immediately started glowing in excitement.

"Those eyes! You're special eyes! You can definitely save my sister, your majesty!"

Hearing Eos' words, Arry grew confused. As far as she knew, her eyes were just like everyone else's. But Eos soon began to explain to the king the reality of her eyes.

"Your majesty, among mortals, there are a few who possess mystical abilities that don't come from either gods or spirits. We call these gifts 『Singularities』!!"

As Arry attentively listened to the lecture of the child-like spirit in earnest, she couldn't help but be drawn to the subject being discussed.

"『Singularites』are gifts that are ingrained in one's soul! Unique characteristics that break the bounds of life and death itself! Granting their wielders unique abilities that even the gods cannot explain!"

Eos continued describing what 『Singularites』were. The forms they took on. The instances they have appeared in the course of history. Everything that revolved around the subject, Eos discussed with excitement and glee.

"There was one that Finegas was looking into, like this big red fire! Then there was another that Jupiter talked about, about some fool or something like that! There are also a few ones that could even tell the future!"

Arry was quiet as she contemplated the meaning of what Eos was telling her. The spirit had regaled the king about numerous tales of forgotten heroes who possessed these said 『Singularites』and now… she was one of those few special people.

"Eos, are you sure you're correct about this? Maybe you just mistook my eyes for something else"

Arry found it hard to believe that she possessed such an ability, since the stories that the spirit told always had the characters discovering their gifts as if it were natural to them. But Arry, in her seventeen years of life, had yet to do such a thing.

"But you did, your majesty! When you looked at me a while ago! You were using it!"

Eos was quick to shut down the self-doubt of the king regarding her ability. The spirit absolutely saw the presence of a 『Singularity』when she peered into her soul. She had no doubt in her mind about it.

"My skill to detect lies… that's my ability?"

Arry questioned. After thinking about it more, she discovered that she had always had the uncanny ability to know when someone was lying ever since she was a young kid.

After some deliberation, Arry soon slowly started accepting the fact that her eyes might be special, but she was rather disappointed with her ability.

"Knowing when someone is lying or not… it's a useful ability to have for a ruler, but I don't see how it can help save your sister, Eos. Wouldn't your efforts be better served if you asked someone like Bell?"

Arry said to Eos. She knew just how amazing Bell was in comparison to herself, so she didn't see the reason why the spirit was considering someone like herself. But in response to Arry's question, Eos only answered it with confusion.

"Eh?... But that mister already has a contract, your majesty! I can't make another one with him!"

Hearing Eos' words, Arry was shocked with surprise. Immediately asking for Eos to explain further what she had meant. The look in the king's eyes scared Eos a tiny bit.

"It's simple, your majesty. I already detected the presence of the divine inside that mister. It didn't feel like a god's aura, so I figured it was a spirit!"

Arry's mind slowly began to process what Eos had explained to her, though that alone would've been enough to throw Arry for a loop, she was further confused by the next set of information she had provided the king.

"Though it's weird, I sensed three spirits inside that mister! A big blue arrow, a giant white shield, and another one I couldn't see. But I'm sure there was another one!"

Arry slowly began to understand why Bell was so incredible.

"Three spirits… you really are incredible, Bell…"

But though the king was glad she was able to understand Bell even more than before, her new knowledge also caused a bit of depression to form within Arry's heart. The fact that Bell was incredible enough to house three spirits within himself, only widened the gap between herself and the person she wanted to reach.

"..."

Seeing the king in solemn silence, Eos wasn't sure what had caused Arry to grow sad, but the spirit immediately began to cheer her up as best as she could.

"C-Cheer up, your majesty! Sure, that mister Bell is incredible. I never thought I could see a mortal house with so many different divinities all at once! He's like a once-in-a-millennium outlier that no one else can compare to…"

But as Eos continued to comment on the incredible sight she saw when she looked at Bell's soul, Arry only grew more and more solemn.

The spirit panicked as she saw her swords only causing more sadness, and began to immediately skip all of her observations to speak about her main point.

"Point is, your majesty! You're also incredible! If you form a contract with me, I promise you can catch up to him!"

Arry immediately reacted to Eos' words and began to question the validity of her claims.

"I can catch up to him?"

Seeing that Arry had taken in her bait, Eos began to excitedly reel her in.

"Of course! I might not be as strong as Jupiter or Aria, but as long as the sun is shining, I am technically classified as a Great Spirit you know!"

Eos began to appear haughty as she proudly displayed her charm points as a contractable spirit. After listing out other numerous things about herself, Eos once more posed her request to the king, Arry.

"Please, your majesty! Form a contract with me!"

Under the veil of sunrise, the spirit of dawn once again pleaded to the human king to form a contract. So that the spirit's sister might be saved, and that the king's love might come true.

"..."

Arry was silent as she watched the nervous child spirit await her answer. The promise that she might be able to catch up to Bell. The idea that she would be able to truly walk by his side. Faced with such an enticing offer, how could Arry find it in herself to refuse the proposal?

"I'm still not sure if I will be worthy… but I accept the offer to have the spirit Eos become my contracted servant!"

Seeing the king exude an air of magnanimity as she accepted her proposal, Eos began to beam with joy as she could no longer hide her excitement.

"Yes!!! I was so nervous since this was my first time offering a contract… but I'm so glad it worked out!!!"

Eos began to run around the training hall in excitement. Arry was dazed for a moment as the spirit sprinted through the hall with boundless energy, but she soon began to form a gentle smile.

"I look forward to working with you, Eos"

Hearing the king's greeting, Eos snapped out of her stupor to return the greeting as well. Smiling widely throughout it all.

"Same for you too, your majesty!"

The king and her spirit then began to chat for a little while as to how their contract would work and how it could improve Arry's abilities, but before any practical training could be done, Eos had something to take care of first.

"Your majesty! Before you can use my powers, you have to imagine a form where my powers can materialize themselves!"

Eos began to lecture Arry on the workings of the spirit contract. Spirits serve as a medium through which their patron god's power could be accessed by mortals, usually in the form of an object that could exhibit the characteristics of the power.

"It can be an animal or a concept… but whatever you do, please don't turn me into a weapon…"

Seeing the fear in Eos' eyes, Arry grew confused as to why Eos didn't want to be turned into a weapon. Something that the spirit was eager to answer.

"It's because we lose consciousness if we turn into non-living objects… it takes hundreds of years for us to recover our intelligence after being transformed… and I don't want to experience it again…"

Hearing the pain in Eos' voice, Arry could feel that there was a lot of hidden pain behind her words. Taking the spirit's hand into her own, Arry gently reassured Eos that she wouldn't do what she feared.

"Don't worry Eos, I won't turn you into a weapon. A king who hurts a child isn't fit to be a king after all"

Arry said with a kind reassuring smile. Seeing the genuine gesture of the king, Eos soon began to form a smile once again on her face.

"You're really kind, your majesty…"

Hearing Eos refer to herself so distantly every time, Arry corrected Eos on how to call upon her moving forward.

"We're bound by contract now, Eos. There's no need to talk to me like that… just call me Arry… though you have to call me Allum when I'm in front of other people, alright?"

"Alright! Arry!"

Eos began to smile brightly as she could feel herself growing closer to her first mortal contractor. The spirit was confused about why exactly her contractor hid her gender, but she decided to simply worry about it for another time.

'Mortals have weird cultures… they can never seem to stick to one thing…'

After discussing it some more, Arry and Eos were unable to figure out a form through which Eos could manifest her powers. But after a few more minutes of no progress, Arry began to fiddle with the hilt of the sword on her waist. Merodach.

Eos soon noticed her contractor's behavior and grew curious about the weapon by her waist.

"That weapon… it's going to disappear, Arry"

"HUH?!-"

Arry was shocked by what Eos had said. The spirit was able to perceive the transient nature of Bell's projections. Something she was only able to do through her spirit eyes. A pair of eyes that were highly tuned to observe mystical phenomena after being created with the blessings of the world and the divine.

"I'm not lying, Arry. That weapon can disappear at any moment"

Eos said to her contractor as she continued to curiously observe the weapon. Not understanding how such a thing was able to maintain its form after such a long time.

Hearing the warnings of her spirit, Arry began to panic greatly. Being unable to formulate proper words to convey her distress.

"..."

Seeing the king panic at the prospect of losing her beloved sword, Eos soon formed an idea in her mind.

'Arry seems to treasure that sword a lot… so if I inhabit it… perhaps I can solve two problems with one stone!'

Eos grew excited at the answer she came up with. Her genius terrified her at times.

As Arry continued to panic, Eos quickly touched the blade with her gentle hands. The contact between the projection and the divine spirit immediately formed a blinding light that stunned Arry.

"Eos?!-"

The king called out to her spirit in a panic, but after a short while, the immense light soon began to fade.

Arry slowly adjusted her eyes and began to panic after not being able to locate Eos in the training hall.

But after a few moments of calling out to the spirit in futility, the voice of Eos soon reached Arry's consciousness.

『Down here, Arry!』

Hearing the spirit's voice, Arry grew confused about where it came from. It was as if the noise had come from inside her head… but after looking down upon her hands, the king soon realized what had happened.

"... Eos?"

Arry called out to the sword she held in her hands.

Far different from the bare bones Merodach, the sword in Arry's hand was now decorated with beautiful ornate designs. Radiating an image of a royal's sword.

With the blade and hilt coated in shades of shimmering gold and deep dark blue, Arry couldn't find the words to describe what had happened to her beloved sword.

Radiating with divine power as a gentle aura of gold wrapped around the weapon, Merodach had now taken on the form of its last incarnation.

The sword that selected the king of knights.

The blade that ceased its wielder from being human.

The golden sword of the victorious.

『Caliburn』

119 ???? ????? ????????'? ????????????

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Editor:

Editor-kun#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

2 chapters until this arc ends, 1 chapter as an epilogue, possibly a separate lemon chapter (debating whether to include the epilogue and lemon in one package), then a side chapter of some miscellaneous stories… THEN WE'RE GOING BACK TO ORARIO BABY.

I have been reading a lot of Blue Lock in recent days, so if u want an idea as to what Bell will be doing for the upcoming fight, u can guess based on that manga HAHAHA.

I'll do my best to not go on another unannounced break, and thank you so much for the support you have been giving this fanfic.

I hope you all look forward to the next chapter, and may you all have a nice day!