Chapter 54: The Struggles of a Protagonist

'I am afraid of abandonment… I never want to be abandoned again…'

Trembling and cold, a young Liliruca Arde promised herself to never be abandoned again. It was a fear that was seared into her soul one rainy day in Orario.

The sounds of raindrops clashing against the stone pavement resounded in her ears as her eyes grew darker and darker.

She had just come back home from yet another fruitless day of adventuring within the dungeon of monsters.

The young pallum was determined to try and become a great adventurer, but the world had blessed her with no natural talent for the profession.

Why was someone of her age and stature trying so desperately to become an adventurer? To become rich.

Rich enough that she wouldn't become a burden. A burden to her parents that had never desired for her to be born.

She was a child brought forth by reckless behavior by two already struggling pallums in the underbelly of Orario.

Growing immensely frustrated with the extra mouth the couple had to feed, they decided to push the responsibility onto the child herself.

Tragically, Lili didn't resist her parent's words when they told her to head into one of the most dangerous places in the mortal world.

How could she? Chasing after the approval of her parents was all she had known. Who was she to go against her desires for recognition?

But it would seem that she was too late. One rainy day after another fruitless dungeon dive, Liliruca Arde would come home to the news that her parents had died, having been attacked by a criminal gang during a mission as porters.

She felt numb. Reality had not yet sunken in for the child, but what she was experiencing was undeniable.

What had all her effort been for? Who should she confide in now? She was just a child in a big unfamiliar world… and that was when a hand extended out to her.

'Work for the Soma familia. We can be your family'

The child's eyes sparkled at the words the gray-haired man had spoken to her. Zanis Lustra, captain of the Soma familia, the familia her parents had been a part of.

Without hesitation, the young pallum took his hand and followed in her parent's footsteps. Her falna had been sealed and she had gained the porter ability 『Artel Assist』.

But she quickly became disillusioned as she worked grueling hours for minimal pay and constant mistreatment.

She wasn't being welcomed by a family, she was merely being used to repay her parent's debts to the familia after their deaths.

She hated it. She hated being reduced to even less than a pack mule, but it was all she had. The fear of abandonment scared her more than the suffering she was experiencing.

She needed her worth validated. She needed someone that needed her… otherwise… what would have been the point of her birth in this world at all?

'Lord Ghost…'

The Gray Ghost. A mysterious figure who had saved her from being abused by her drunkard superiors wanted to take away all the money she had earned to repay her debts for the month.

He was a figure that didn't stand on the same stage she did… and yet… it was such a far-away person who had satiated her need for validation.

『Become my spear. Liliruca Arde』

The path was clear for her. Everything she ever wanted would come true if she dedicated herself to the road the vigilante had presented her.

She didn't know how he knew her identity. She didn't know his modus operandi or any other essential information.

Through the instinct she had developed by surviving in Orario's criminal underworld, Lili knew that the Gray Ghost was suspicious, but she didn't care.

The taste of the food he had cooked for her. The heat of the fireplace of his home welcomed her. The soft fabric of the clothes that now wrapped her malnourished body, and the warmth of the hand that held out to her own, were vastly different from the cold grasp of her familia captain.

'If it's for you…I would even burn the world'

Her cold heart which had forgotten the warmth of family had been reignited once more. Awakening the destiny that had long been dormant in her soul.

Her blaze had been but a cinder that hid away in fear of everything around her『Cinder Ella』but it had now become honed and sharpened through her new desire 『Bloodfury Spear』

She was elated beyond what she had thought was even capable. Where she once rejoiced at being able to afford two meals a day, she now smiled frequently as she lived alongside the first person she could truly say she loved, but then…

『I'll be gone for a while』

… the happiness had ended. Her precious light had gone far away, to a place she was unable to reach with all her desperation.

Lili was reminded once more how fragile her newfound peace was. She tormented herself at her foolishness for not seeing it sooner.

Who was she to think that the Gray Ghost would always be waiting for her? That she was not just as replaceable as any other unfortunate child? She was just lucky… she was replaceable… her light was getting farther and farther away…

…

..

.

'.̷̢̡͉̥̬̟̤̼̝͋͂̆̀̒̑́̐͠͝.̷̺̺̟̱̩̪̥̠̫̎̄.̴͖̰̃̔̎̏͋̐̆.̴͙̼̜͐.̷̭͇̤͙͂̈́͛̀̒̽͆̚̕  ?'? ????? ????????? ????? .̷̢̡͉̥̬̟̤̼̝͋͂̆̀̒̑́̐͠͝.̷̺̺̟̱̩̪̥̠̫̎̄.̴͖̰̃̔̎̏͋̐̆.̴͙̼̜͐.̷̭͇̤͙͂̈́͛̀̒̽͆̚̕'

…

..

.

A crimson fire burned all around her, and yet, all she felt was cold. She burned and burned, but not a single ounce of warmth permeated through the cold metal of her lance and armor.

Tiny cinders wrapped around her lonely self, her sword-obsessed blacksmith, her chienthrope rival, and the blue-haired spearman she had been acquainted with… but their heat was not the same as her treasured person.

Standing atop a hill of decaying monster corpses and ashen dust, her crimson glowing eyes peered through her visor, the parting gift the Gray Ghost had left her.

She had become strong, rich, and self-reliant. She had achieved all that she wanted to be as a young child, and yet, it was a hollow victory that didn't even elicit a smile on her face.

'Not enough… I'll keep descending some floors to continue training… maybe I can sleep in Rivira? Lord Soma said he was getting worried for me…'

What was the point of what she had achieved if she couldn't revel in it with the people she strived to achieve it for?

Bereft of the lord she had sworn fealty to, what point was there for her flaming spear?

Bereft of her family, what point was there for her to even live?

…

..

.

"An intruder…"

Memories continued to play along with interruption, this time replaying what she had seen last night. A night that would greatly affect her.

Just as the pallum was about to go to bed in preparation for another day of slaying monsters, her senses detected the intrusion of a person in the vicinity of her home.

The home of herself and her precious Gray Ghost. Imagining that someone dared to filthy the grounds of her most treasured memories greatly outraged her.

Her eyes began to glow a fierce crimson as her flames began to heat with extreme malice as if the flame itself had become a spear to decimate the target of her hatred.

Though she had been ordered by the vigilante to control her ability, which she was successful in doing, for this grave offense Lili had foregone all such inhibition.

She ran through the house like a feral beast, but just as she was about to descend on the location of the intruder, the sound of his voice left her deathly still.

"Hey, mom"

"... Lord Ghost?"

She recognized the voice of the person in front of her instantly. It was the voice of the person she longed to be reunited with for so long.

But he was not the same as she had remembered, for one, he was not wearing his usual attire. The vigilante would always be wearing his uniform and armor whenever she was around him

Though she felt hurt that she couldn't see him for who he truly was, it was something Lili was able to tolerate for his sake… but now… she finally discovered what lay behind the mask.

A head of illustrious white hair. A set of sky-blue and cold-gray eyes. A face of extreme beauty. A body of discipline and strength.

His true appearance far exceeded everything Lili had imagined in her fantasies, but she wasn't focused on such things at that moment.

All she could feel then was an immense flood of emotions that left her paralyzed. Happiness. Sadness. Anger. Confusion. She didn't know what to feel, but eventually, her body moved without thinking.

She embraced him tightly as if he could disappear at any moment, like a transient dream that was never to be.

She cried and shouted all that she repressed in the two painful years she had spent yearning for his return back to their home.

She experienced so much that she could hardly remember what happened after feeling the sensation of his body on her, but what she could remember were the words she wanted to hear for so long.

『I love you to pieces』

…

..

.

"I love you too!... huh?"

Waking up with tired breath, Lili sharply closed her eyes as the sunlight of the morning rained down upon her.

"A dream?"

Rubbing her eyes awake, she began to re-examine just what had happened to her, and it would seem that the answer was apparent quickly from the get-go.

The memories of her dream began to turn into a blur as she began to become more and more awake.

Her body reeked of sweat all over. From her head to her pits and chest, and even down to her legs and toes.

"I need a bath"

Unable to take her body odor and the taste of her morning breath, Lili moved to begin her daily routine.

She stripped off the camisole and panties she usually wore as her night attire before hanging a towel around her shoulder.

Walking down the halls of the home in the nude was a normal thing for the pallum to do, after all, it has been two years since the previous tenant had left for an unspecified journey.

One that she had followed quite religiously from Orario… and one that brought her great sadness as she read about the conclusion of the Gray Ghost's stay in the Kaios.

'Ugh, why does Lord Ghost have to be married? Especially to a royal queen and a goddess of beauty?'

To be or not to be happy about the vigilante's marriage announcement, such was the moral dilemma that Lili had been trying to solve as an executive of the Gray Ghost fan club.

It pained her heart just remembering all of the details that were reported in gossip and rumors from their operatives in Sorshana conducting information gathering.

『The Gray Ghost and his wives have been seen being lovey-dovey quite frequently at the castle garden!』

『This marriage seems to be born out of true love and not by political arrangement or ambition… damn it!』

『Some maids from the castle have said they heard the Gray Ghost making love to them both at the same time! All night!』

『The people of Sorshana are wondering what the child of Gray Ghost and the queen would be like… I feel weak… I need some rest-』

'Damn it, Lili! Stop thinking about that stuff! All you need is to grow strong for Lord Ghost! Speaking of which, I need to have my spear be maintained by Welf later today…'

As she continued to go through her thoughts, she began to step closer to the living room of the house.

The living room was the central location where all other rooms could be accessed, such as the bathroom, bedrooms, and the kitchen.

Lost in her thoughts, similarly to her hero, Lili hadn't noticed the difference in the house that wasn't usually there.

For one, a delicious aroma was sweeping through the halls of the house like an alluring snare. Another would be the fact that the home was looking more lively than before.

The sounds of sizzling oil and the burning of fire were echoing through the walls, and just as Lili was about to notice them, she had now walked into the living room.

"Hm? Oh, good morning, Lili! I was just cooking us some breakfast. You don't mind having pancakes and bacon in the morning right-"

Turning around from an active stovetop, Bell noticed the approaching presence of the pallum and greeted her with a wide smile, only to have his words stopped as he saw Lili in her birthday suit.

"..."

Seeing the white-haired man in the kitchen, as if being run over by a truck, the memories of the previous night came rushing back to LIli's mind.

???????… ?????… ????…

Hurriedly retreating back to the cover of the hallway leading to the bedrooms, an immense amount of blood began rushing to Lili's head as she began to articulate her best apology in spite of her voice stammering non-stop.

"Lord Ghost! I- You- Me- We- Um- S-Sorry for seeing such an unsightly thing!"

Shouting with all her strength, she desperately covered her body with her towel as she trembled. Had she offended Lord Ghost? He was a married man now, would he think she wanted to break his marriage? Lili didn't know what awaited her.

But as she panicked, Bell's line of thought was quite simple in comparison. One might say that it was indicative of the only response a man would have upon seeing a naked beauty in the morning.

'Damn it, now I'm hard'

Controlling his flag pole to undo his full-mast salute, Bell began to call out for Lili, recognizing the amount of panic the poor pallum must be going through.

"Lili, it's fine. No need to panic. You were going to take a bath right? I already prepped up a bath for you. Feel free to take it while I make some finishing touches to our meal"

"... Understood, Lord Ghost"

"Lili, Bell is just fine. No need to be so formal around me"

"... Understood… Lord Bell"

"Better. It needs some work, but we can deal with it along the way"

Hearing his words, Lili's loyalty to Bell's commands overrode her personal embarrassment as she began to make her way through the living room.

But though she should be quickly making her way to the bathroom, she couldn't help but take a look at who the Gray Ghost truly was.

His actions were the same as she remembered them to be. His finesse in cooking. His gentle demeanor. His open-mindedness. His reassuring aura. He was undoubtedly the Gray Ghost.

But now seeing him without the armor and mask brought a sense of exhilaration to Lili. It was as if she was being introduced to a new electrifying stimulation.

'I can't stop looking at him… and his real name is Bell, huh? Bell… Bell… Bell… hehe~'

Lili's eyes more and more began to focus solely on Bell's body and movements, but she was quickly moved back to reality as she saw a certain bulge in his lower half.

'That bulge… did I do that?'

In an instant, her focus had shifted to that certain observation she had made. It brought her immense joy that she was attractive in her lord's eyes, but more than that, her body grew heated at the forbidden thoughts she was having.

'No! Lord Ghost- Lord Bell is betrothed. You mustn't try to seduce him!. It would be immoral! It would be unjust! It would go against my oath to prioritize his happiness and well-being above all else!'

'To stoke the flames of temptation and receive his unbridled lust… to commit a heinous sin, enjoy every bit of it and indulge in pleasures that would surely doom us both if discovered…I shouldn't… I mustn't… but-'

(E/D: Now listen to my explanation: Segs is caused by temptation. A man's location reaches a woman's destination to increase the population for the future generation. Do you get my explanation? Or do you need a demonstration?)

Just as she was about to pounce on Bell like the starving beast she was, Lili realized that her 『Ira Fianna: Spear of Fire and Blood』or 『Bloodfury Spear』had unconsciously awoken and enhanced her desires greatly.

Ashamed and embarrassed she had lost control despite all her training to reign in the nature of her falna-given abilities, Lili began to march steadfastly to the bathroom of the house to cool her mind off.

But as she closed the door and the loud sound of running water began to permeate through the halls of the house, Bell struggled to reign in his flagpole once more as his enhanced senses began to pick up on a noise that was being masked by the water.

'Lili, I can respect using the background noise technique to hide yourself doing the deed, but it will take more than that to elude the detection of a grandmaster baiter such as myself'

Smiling wryly as he tried his best to move his mind away from the intense relieving of the pallum in his care, Bell continued to cook their breakfast in relative peace.

…

..

.

"So your journey was to improve your strength, Lord Bell?"

"Yes, though it doesn't excuse the pain you must have experienced, Lili. I will do my best to make it up to you now that I'm back"

"N-No such things are needed, Lord Bell! Just being here is already enough for me! I'm honestly alright now! Please don't worry!"

"Lili…"

Seeing Lili's aversion to any sort of recompensation or consideration, Bell admonished himself for not taking into account her possible developmental issues from her tragic upbringing.

He couldn't just brute-force a reward for Lili as that would simply make her feel more guilty for inconveniencing himself. A common behavior found in people with abandonment issues.

Faced with such a dilemma, he could only work with the current rather than go against it. If special consideration wouldn't be effective, then he would just have to do his best with the only thing Lili would accept as a reward. Time together.

"Alright, Lili… then would you mind accompanying me to the dungeon a few days from now? It's about time we get better at working together. Moving forward, the number of solo missions I will undertake will be decreasing… I look forward to fighting together"

Hearing Bell's words, Lili's soul was set brilliantly alight as boundless excitement filled every inch of her body.

So much so, she had unconsciously activated her『Cinder Ella: Sharing of Wounds』and manifested beast ears and tails that further conveyed her emotions.

"Of course!! Leave it to, Lili!! I will make sure I won't hinder you at all, Lord Bell!!"

Seeing her be so happy, Bell couldn't help but smile fondly at the genuine happiness the pallum could find in such a small gesture.

"I'll leave it to you then, Lili. Also, invite Welf as well to the party. He'll be crucial for my plans moving forward, so it's best he gets used to fighting with us as well"

"... tsk"

"Oh no…"

Hearing the clicking of Lili's tongue, Bell grew confused as he felt an immense amount of animosity begin to emanate within the pallum's soul.

"Welf, isn't necessary, Lord Bell! He can only hammer away at his anvil. You should only need me for protection!"

Lili slammed her hands into the table as her eyes began to glow crimson. In an instant, Bell could recognize what emotion was being enhanced by her abilities. Jealousy.

But without growing flustered, utilizing his accrued experiences handling the countless obsessed women he had encountered, Bell neutralized Lili quickly with immense finesse.

???

"Eh?!"

Extending himself forward across the table, he planted a small kiss on her forehead. Without delay, Lili's face began to glow an immense shade of red, but Bell's assault hadn't yet finished.

"I understand why you might be acting like this, Lili. Trust me, I fully do"

?????????????! ????? 1!

"I've left you alone for so long, it's only natural that you want to spend as much time with me as possible"

??????? ????????? ????????! ????? 2!

"Please understand, Lili. I value many people in Orario, and I just want to treasure all the things I love here after so long… including you"

????????! ????? 3!

"But no matter how many people I come to treasure, you hold a special place in my heart. Forever and always, you will be my first spear"

????????? ????-????! ????? 4!

"I will make up for all the time we have lost together, so, just this once, won't you allow Welf to join us? Just for me?"

????? ??? ???? ????????! ??????? ?????!

"Mmmmnngghhh!!!-… ????… I understand, Lord Bell"

Seeing that he had perfectly placated the pallum from becoming lost in jealousy, Bell decided to act some extra security by going over the limit. Though it was excessive, he also viewed it as a way to spoil the spear knight he had neglected for so long.

"Thanks, Lili, you're the best"

"?!"

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

…

..

.

"Ehehe~ Ehehe~ Ehehe~"

Walking down the streets of Orario with a pep in her step, Lili drew countless eyes as she got lost in her high of happiness from what had transpired earlier.

'Lord Ghost kissed me, praised me, head patted me, and even bid me farewell as I left home! Ehehe~ Ehehe~'

While Lili enjoyed the heat in her heart that she had sorely missed, the people of Orario instantly recognized her as the cold-eyed level-three adventurer 『Igknight』and were left shocked upon seeing her current state.

"H-Hey i-isn't that 『Igknight』? Shouldn't she be wearing her visor?"

Lili would usually wear a custom-made visor Bell had crafted to suppress the drawbacks of her powers, but he had deemed it no longer necessary for the pallum to continue using it at her level of control… so long as he himself wasn't the source of her emotions.

"She would usually look cold and distant, but she's skipping and laughing… all with that menacing armor and exploding lance of her…"

Alas, her identity as a cold-blooded and crimson-burning warrior was second to that of a maiden in love. Such were the effects of being saved by the protagonist.

"Hey, doesn't she look cute without all that armor and menacing aura?...do you guys think I have a shot with her?"

For the sake of decency, no further descriptions will be provided for the absolute burning dumpster pile that was this assumption.

"I'll meet up with Welf for my equipment maintenance and for the dungeon party dive in two days! Lord Bell will finally make his adventure debut! Me and Lord Bell in our own adventure! Adventure… adventure… adventurer… tsk, Scaith…"

But just as quickly as Lili had relished in her happiness, it was quickly soured as she realized her rival of two years was now in the vicinity of her cherished savior.

Halting her smile and her skipping, the pallum began to plan as to how best to mitigate anything being developed between Bell and Scaith.

"Lord Bell only needs one spear, and that is me"

…

..

.

Similarly to how Lili was going down the streets of Orario to accomplish her objectives, Bell did the same as he headed towards the familia home of the Hermes familia, the Traveller's Inn.

"This should be the place"

Examining the feathered hat emblem that flew high atop the building's structure, Bell confirmed that this was truly the place of Hermes and his children.

Though the structure's outer appearance was unassuming, deep inside, the most intricate intelligence and reconnaissance operations were being conducted with many none the wiser.

'It really pays to have Hermes and his familia as allies'

Stepping up to the front door and knocking a couple of times, there was no reply to his gesture, but though he was met with silence, Bell could feel that someone was now standing behind the door.

Lowering his voice into a nearly unnoticeable whisper, he began to speak out a certain pass-phrase the familia's head god had given him to have special access.

"Open the door you feathered-footed bastard before I strike you down with my lightning bolt"

"Welcome, Lord Bell"

After giving a passphrase that Bell was sure had originated from his grandfather, a member of the Hermes familia humbly welcomed him into their abode.

Looking around, various documents and familia members could be seen all throughout the familia home.

Each one engaged in sensitive tasks and assignments that secretly upheld the stability of Orario beyond most people's notice.

"Hey, where's Asfi's office? Is she busy right now?"

Asking the familia member who had welcomed him in, Bell was informed of the current status of the familia's captain, Asfi Al Andromeda.

"The captain is currently in her office located on the second floor to the right of the stairs. She was been awaiting your arrival, Lord Bell"

"Alright. Thanks for the help, and good luck with your work"

With a flash of a gentle smile, Bell promptly made his way to Asfi's office in order to catch up with all the secret happenings of Orario that had transpired in his absence.

Once he left, the various members of the Hermes familia began to murmur with one another about the fact that the Gray Ghost had just casually entered their familia's home.

"The Gray Ghost is both strong AND handsome? The world isn't fair, man…"

"Our cold-hearted beauty of a captain also has a soft spot for him, on top of being in the hearts of countless other beauties… damn it…"

"But you have to admit, he's really cool… and competent… and effective… and efficient… in comparison to Lord Hermes who slacks all day…"

"All in favor of placing Lord Gray Ghost as our leader after he marries our captain?"

" " " Aye " " "

…

..

.

"Orario treating you well, Bell?"

"Very well, Asfi. How's work?"

"Same old, same old"

Chatting idly, Bell and Asfi calmly worked through documents together. Both worked at an extremely high level without even breaking a sweat.

In his hands, Bell read through the mountain of reports regarding the dungeon city's underworld happenings, and the information of the report fell well-within range of his predictions.

'First would be the sewer system of Orario. Originally, Enyo would utilize the sewer system to breed monster nests as a staging ground to deploy demi-spirits in the surface, causing the emergence of monsters that the Loki familia would deal with during the Monster Feria'

'It was also a source of illegal trading and smuggling, which included shipping off the monsters Enyo had cultivated into the waters of Melen. With my dismantling of the sewer systems that allowed the guild and recruited familias to investigate, the territory was taken out of the control of Enyo and Evilus. Even now, the Ganesha familia conducts routine inspections of the sewer system'

With this, Bell didn't have to worry about the emergence of Violas upon the surface and the securing of funds for Evilus' operations would have been stifled greatly with the cancellation of their illegal smuggling.

'Next major point would be the complete mapping of the Daedalus district. Though there are some official maps of the district for sale, this one is far more intricate. Detailing even the most benign hidden routes… all thanks of course to the Hermes familia's expert cartographer, Lulune'

Equipped with the map, he could begin investigating Knossos with great efficiency. All he needed was to reference the described entrances from the light novel with the map, and he could begin undermining Enyo and Eivilus even further.

'Though Knossos was near-impenetrable due to being constructed entirely out of a shell of Orichalcum and Adamantite… I have 『Alteration』magecraft'

Bell smiled sadistically as Knossos amounted to just a treasure trove of precious metals for him to plunder under the sheer might of his magecraft.

Once he trained his magic stat with falna to a certain point, he wondered if it would be possible for him to rearrange the entirety of the man-made dungeon on a whim.

'Well, it would mostly just be done to hinder the progress of all the parties that resided in Knossos… and as a coincidence, they all seem to be part of this next report document'

Enyo, Thanatos. Ikelos. Ishtar. These gods and their familias are the hostile entities that are profiting from the existence of Knossos.

In one report, a member of the Hermes familia discovered a suspicious trace of alcohol all around the Daedalus district. Having been spilled in such copious amounts that would indicate forced consumption of the wine.

'Dionysus' drugging fake members into his familia…'

In another report, another member of the Hermes familia had detained a criminal who was attempting to coerce a group of beggars to join their group under the premise of meeting their passed loved ones in another life.

Alas, the suspect exploded himself before he was interrogated, destroying any possible evidence of his affiliation. But it was confirmed that he possessed falna from what little remained of his status.

'Thanatos' recruitment of desperate mortals into his army of suicide bombers…'

In a short but concerning document, Asfi outlined her encounter with an illegal smuggling group who had set their trade products alight. Notably, she described an abundance of cages in their inventory… as well as monster drops.

'Ikelos' Xenos smuggling racket…'

And lastly, in a letter designated to himself, Hermes outlined a certain business deal he had entered with Ishtar of the red-light district to procure a certain specialty item from the far-east.

'Ishtar's plan to sacrifice Haruhime and wage war against Freya…'

More and more, Bell continued to read reports of various crimes being conducted within Orario. Each one drew his ire, but in two documents in particular, his anger reached a boiling point.

???????

『Loki familia has been reported being seen inquiring about Class-II adventurers. Dionysus familia captain; Filvis Challia has been seen conversing frequently with Eina Tulle, the recently appointed director for Class-II adventurer affairs』

"Bell?"

Calling out to the white-haired youth in concern, Asfi trembled as a silent but furious wave of mind began to sweep through her office.

"Bell. Calm down."

Raising her voice to reach his ears better, Asfi's declaration reigned in the anger that Bell had exuded, eliciting a rise in concern for what could possibly anger such a level-headed person as him.

"Sorry, Asfi. It's just that a rather unsightly bug has decided to continue pestering me despite all my warnings not to"

Bell had figured that Dionysus would act more covertly with all his actions that would have indicated that he knew everything, but it would seem that it had only made him gutsier in the time he was away.

'Same with all the other criminals of Orario. Artemis and her huntresses have been crucial in stomping out the background characters, but the main villains seem to be getting confident after seeing I was gone from Orario'

…

..

.

『Trace on』

…

..

.

Projecting his armor and weapons in an instant, Bell prepared to do a sweeping clean-up of the mess he had not tended to for so long.

'It's about time I humbled them just a bit'

But before he left to resume his vigilante activities in Orario once more, he noticed a certain magic item that he could use quite effectively for what he was about to do.

"Hey, Asfi. Are you going to use this Anti-Behemoth shell for anything?"

"No? Why are you asking me that?"

"No reason, I just wanted to do some spring cleaning…"

"Bell…"

"I just wanted to piss off some people who can't mind their own business…"

"Bell…"

"I just wanted to blow up the Guild's repository of documents. It will be a contained fire, Asfi! Only my target and a few disposable documents will be destroyed. Hell, I'm doing them a favor! Do you know how much of a hoarding problem they have?"

"Damn it, Bell!"

Hearing his words, Asfi stood up and took away the Anti-Behemoth shell from his hands. But unlike what he expected her to do, the blue-haired familia captain instead placed another explosive magic item in his hands.

"At least use a lower-grade explosive. You and I made the Anti-Behemoth shell to be extremely deadly… and I wanted to keep this one as a souvenir"

Seeing Asfi go along with his antics, he couldn't help but snicker beneath his mask.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love how you go along with my ideas?"

"Yes, yes you have"

Confirming how grateful he was to have such a relationship with such an intellectual beauty, Bell made his way to a secret exit out of the familia's home from Asfi's office.

"You sure you want to go vigilante-ing this early in the day? Isn't operating in the dark your whole aesthetic, Bell?"

"A true vigilante doesn't care when he's needed, my dear Asfi. He simply chooses which time of day bests compliments his attire"

"Pfft- Sure, sure. Stay safe out there!"

"I will"

Smiling towards Asfi. Bell bid her goodbye as he delved into the darkness between the buildings. Setting forth to reignite the fear of the dark, Orario's underworld had long forgotten.

…

..

.

"You can stop eavesdropping now, Lord Hermes. Be grateful I'm in a good mood after meeting Bell, otherwise, I would've thrown you out the window right now"

Speaking to the door to her office as she made her way back to her desk, Asfi blatantly allied out the god of her familia who had been attentively spying on the pair just then.

"Alright! Alright! No need to go violent on me, Asfi! I just came back from work, don't you have any sympathy for me?"

"If your definition of work is being railed by Ishtar after another business meeting, then I have no sympathy for you"

"Your words hurt me more than my hips right now, my child-"

As Hermes rested on the couch and Asfi resumed her work, the god questioned his familia captain about the relationship she and Bell currently possessed.

"Asfi, I know you said that Bell is your treasured friend, but you have to admit, your conversation earlier was a bit suspicious"

Rolling over to rest on his stomach, and moving his legs like a teenage girl engaged in girl-talk, Hermes desperately wanted to learn if the vigilante he admired would become his future son-in-law.

'If Asfi manages to bag Bell and produce a child with him, I'll raise my future grandchild to become the most feared espionage and intelligence-gathering aficionado in all the heavens!'

'After reading through all of Lord Zeus' letters about how he raised Bell, I have to admit, I'm desiring to become a grandfather myself'

Becoming immersed in his fantasy of raising a grandchild, Hermes was soon cruelly returned to reality as Asfi replied to his question.

"No, I am not planning on pursuing Bell as of now"

? ? ? ? ?

Falling down to the floor, and picking himself back up, Hermes immediately demanded an explanation for her child's refusal to enter the ring for Bell's heart.

"Why?!"

Staring at her teary-eyed god with an expression of apathetic displeasure at his patheticness, Asif began to explain her reasonings with a heavy sigh.

"????… Bell has enough on his plate with his plans to become a hero, and I'm sure his love life will be even more of a mess considering how he is"

"So it's up to me, and a few other girls I presume who think just like me, to keep him afloat and not become fearful of every girl he meets just because he doesn't want to seduce another female into his harem"

"Also, I just don't want to deal with the mess of his partners fighting out to establish the pecking order. My mind is better suited for more productive tasks"

Finishing her reasoning in a succinct manner, Asfi was further disgusted as she saw Hermes look like an empty husk after realizing his dreams of raising a master-spy grandchild were all for naught.

Unable to feel no emotions for the poor god, Asfi decided to give him a consolation prize that would hopefully rejuvenate him. Also for the fact that she wasn't entirely devoid of attraction to Bell.

"When everything calms down and Bell finishes all of his plans for the future… IF I still feel the same way about him, and IF he has room in his heart for me… then you might be a grandfather in the coming future, Lord Hermes"

"LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!"

Chuckling at the goofy antics of the god that had raised her, Asfi left him to celebrate his joy as she resumed her work as familia captain.

『Sisyphus Chain』

Manifesting the chain magic item that she had based on Bell's chained blades, Asfi muttered beneath her breath her hope for the future.

"I really hope he will still have space for my love"

…

..

.

『Transient』

Teleporting inside the branch building where the guild stores their documents after surveying it for a while, Bell quietly made his way through the halls of paper in search of the list of all Class-II adventurers.

'I have to give it up to Loki and Dionysus for somehow figuring out I chose to hide my true identity as a Class-II adventurer. While I don't mind Loki and her familia finding out, I have a problem with Dionysus making Filvis approach Eina'

His eyes glowed an ominous blue and silver as he fiddled with the explosive in his hands. Running some rudimentary simulations in his head and calculating the variables involved such as a high level seven Filvis, he was confident of ensuring Dionysus' death should his hand be forced.

'But it's unlikely that such a thing will play out. Eina is too prominent of a figure in the guild. Should she be harmed by Dionysus, the guild would publicly intervene in the eradication of Evilus and his entire operation'

Bell recalled how Enyo was able to act as he did due to not giving the guild any public reason to declare war on them. Without the guild being able to unify Orario, only Loki and Hermes were able to do anything worthwhile without being hindered.

'Though I'm sure anything won't happen to Eina, I'll let this become my final warning to Dionysus. Even his group would be hard-pressed to infiltrate the guild's headquarters this deeply. If this isn't enough to spook him… then he truly is a drunk fool'

Pitying the god of wine and his addiction to mania and torment, Bell eyed the cabinet which contained the list of Class-II adventurers.

Activating the explosive magic item in his hands, he quickly began activating his teleportation magic, 『Transient』to escape.

…

..

.

? ? ? ?

…

..

.

"What in the hell?!"

Just outside, standing in front of the entrance to the guild's headquarters, Loki, Riviera, and Ais could be seen appearing shocked at the sudden burst of flames deep within the guild's building.

They were heading to the guild to persuade Eina, who was in charge of the class-II adventurers, into allowing them to peek at the list.

They were planning on using the half-elf's familial relationship with Riveria as a bargaining chip, but the last thing they expected was an attack on the guild.

"Riveria! Ais! Start heading to the scene of the explosion! Ignore any guild staffer that tries to stop you, this is an emergency!"

Without hesitating, Loki could recognize just how severe the situation unfolding before her eyes was. Promptly ordering her children to assist in the containment of the fire.

"Understood! Ais, with me! Use your『Ariel』to assist any injured! I will take this time to begin chanting my magic!"

"Roger…『Ariel』"

? ? ? ? ? ?

A large gust of magical wind began to blow through the vicinity as Ais' silhouette turned into a blur as she delved into the site of the explosion.

Not long after that, a large magic circle began to manifest as Riveria began chanting her magic. Intending to manifest her large-scale ice-magic 『Wynn Fimbulvetr』

"What in the fucking hell just happened?"

Loki couldn't help but curse as she tried her best to deduce what exactly just happened. The guild was an organization that spanned the entire continent of the lower world.

No group was foolish enough to incur the wrath of an organization that maintained law and order across many territories, most notably of which was Orario.

"There's no way someone would be that stupid… unless… it's those group of fucking idiots! They survived!"

Unintentionally, Bell had shot Dionysus in the foot by allowing Loki to consider an idea that she was supposed to find out a few months later.

'Evilus is somehow still in operation'

Bell had now expedited the discovery of Orario's mortal enemy to one of the strongest familias currently reigning.

In one move, the vigilante had not only secured his hidden identity but also deterred the evil god from acting further on this line of action, and secretly driving a knife further to his heart with the factor of Loki.

…

..

.

"What just happened, Filvis?"

"I am not sure, Lord Dionysus…"

Standing farther away from the guild's headquarters, Dionysus and Filvis stood in shock at what had just happened.

As if feeling the raw frustration from realizing what had happened, Dionysus' drunk hypnosis had worn off as Enyo began to surface as the controlling personality.

"Damn it… damn it… damn it…"

The evil god cursed incessantly at all the annoyance and frustration the Gray Ghost had given him.

"Lord Enyo, we must go somewhere more private. We are still in public-"

Just as Filvis was about to urge Enyo into hiding so as to preserve his hidden identity from being leaked…

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

… A great wave of killing intent began to wash over them both. Pure unbridled malice directed towards the evil god alone, but involved his elven familia-captain in the crossfire.

The god struggled to breathe whilst Filvis was hindered and discomforted by the disturbance to her airflow.

Enyo's body shook incessantly as his hair stood on end. He recognized what was happening to him, for it was something he derived pleasure from observing from the heavens.

The state in which a person would begin to fear for their safety and the sanctity of their lives. Delirium would begin to infect their brains as their mind could no longer process reality.

The denial of truth. The acceptance of fantasy. The descent into madness. The loss of rationality. Mania.

『Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil!』

? ? ? ? ?

『Dio Grail!』

Digging her feet onto the ground, and propelling herself toward her god whilst chanting her magic, Filvis was successful at breaking free of the killing intent Enyo had received while deploying her defensive magic for any responsive action from their pursuer.

But as the seconds began to pass, Filvis received no attack that followed up on the felt killing intent, instead, she had just gathered the attention of the nearby crowd on herself and her god.

Murmurs began to break out as to why the black-haired elven adventurer would act so forcefully in a public setting, birthing rumors and speculations as to what happened to her and her familia's god.

"... damn it"

Enduring the crowd's observations whilst carrying a delusional Enyo in her arms, Filvis began to make her way to their familia's home in order to recover and plan what to do next.

As she ran through the streets of Orario, Enyo began to mutter the name of the only person who could have released such immense killing intent at them both specifically.

"Gray Ghost… Gray Ghost… Gray Ghost…"

The evil god had gone mad with mania. Never had he been pushed and humiliated this far. It was the most hilarious thing he had ever experienced.

Him, a divinity that embodied a concept in its entirety, fearing a lowly mortal. It was something that broke the natural order.

The divine were superior to mortals in every way, who was this vigilante to so boldly declare war against a heavenly being such as himself?

"Ha… haha… hahaha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!-"

Hearing the manic laughter of her god, Filvis could only scrunch up her face in disgust and pity as she continued to run.

She could no longer escape from the hands of Dionysus and Enyo, she was simply too far gone. There was no saving her… but in the depths of her crystal heart, what little humanity remained in the elf began to wish for one last request, as selfish as it may be.

'Please… let this nightmare end…'

…

..

.

"Tsk, just why did that bastard Dionysus have to enthrall Filvis to his cause? ????… I'll just have to wait for my little sister to become 'friends' with Filvis before I save her from that creep"

After leaving the evil god with proof that what had just happened in the guild was his handiwork, Bell grew frustrated at how deep his machinations were, in specific, how perfectly he had enslaved Filvis to his will.

'A creature capable of having strength equal to a high-level seven, possessing the full three allowed magic spells for a falna status, decked out with countless skills, and possessing a good amount of stats… that bastard really was lucky to have encountered her after the nightmare of the twenty-seventh floor…'

Bell had his eye on Filvis for a long time, as she held the key to discovering the secrets of the dungeon that had eluded readers of the story for so long.

'She would make a wonderful ally to have in combat, but she is extremely valuable in the fact she's a creature who was able to resist the dungeon's allure to some extent. Allowing her to keep her mind whilst also experiencing the truth of the dungeon'

With this in mind, Bell projected a prototype weapon he had been researching. Using the studies he conducted with Sessrumnir, it was the key to saving both the spirit slumbering in his projected sword in Sorshana and the tragic elf who only wanted to continue living with Lefiya.

"Well, all will come to pass in time. I'll just let Dionysus keep acting like he's in control… for now though…"

Bell began to eye up the slums of Orario. In his mind were the perfect recollections of various criminal gangs and operations that had sprouted up in his absence.

Given that he was in the neighborhood and had some time to kill, why not lighten the workload on the Ganesha and Artemis familias?

"Help! Help!"

As if to signal the start of his shift as a crime fighter, the voice of an old lady reached his ears as he witnessed a young thug begin to run off with her pouch of Valis.

"Please! I need that money to treat my grandchild! He needs his medicine!"

"Fuck you, grandma!"

Crouching down to observe the generic villain behavior he has become accustomed to, Bell couldn't help but be in awe at how cookie-cutter some people could be.

"What better way to start my return! Gotta do some stretches first…"

Beginning to stretch his muscles, the criminal thief began to make his way through the winding passages of the slums, growing more and more confident of his success as no one chased after him.

"Gotta stretch the arms… the knees… ooh! My back cracked quite a bit there…"

The thief's smile grew into a wicked grin as his ego shot up into the heavens. He began to imagine what he would spend all the Valis on. How much more he could steal in the future. Maybe he could even start his own crime syndicate!

"Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out…"

Subordinates! Riches! Hot women! Everything would be in his grasp if he just continued to rely on his natural talent for running to steal from the unassuming sods of the slums! It was just a matter of time-

"Ready… go!"

『Reinforce』

? ? ? ? ?

-Everything had turned to black. In an instant, a gray silhouette appeared in front of him before knocking him out with a clean straight punch to the chin.

By the time he woke up, he would be bound and delivered straight to the headquarters of the Ganesha familia.

When questioned, his descriptions of what happened before his untimely lapse into unconsciousness would rouse a sense of frenzy among the adventurers.

A gray silhouette that blurred into nothingness. A phantasmal menace that stalked the underbelly of Orario like a boogeyman for all criminals.

At long last, he was finally back where he first began his legend. The Gray Ghost has returned to Orario.

…

..

.

"The Gray Ghost is back! He's finally back!"

"He saved my father from being mugged just a while ago!"

"I saw him take out an entire gang over at the seventh street!"

"We must report this to the fan club president!"

All across Orario, a frenzy for the Gray Ghost began to be set alight among the general public. Just as mysteriously as he arrived, the vigilante had returned out of nowhere and resumed his fight against the dungeon city's infestation of crime.

But unlike before, the rate of his actions were much faster than two years ago. Multiple sighting reports began to emerge from varying districts of Orario.

One minute he would be in the west end, and in the other, he would be in the east end. He was moving and fighting at a rate that far dwarfed his previous accomplishment.

Responding to the rising excitement of the crowd, the guild mobilized the Ganesha familia to best contain the crowd from wandering into danger zones in the hopes of catching sight of the famous vigilante.

Fanatics of the Gray Ghost weren't the only ones trying to catch a glimpse, various people such as merchants, foreign adventurers, modeling agencies, and even royalty of small nations began to clamor to meet the Gray Ghost.

After all of his antics became well-known stories, countless people fell into the belief that so long as Gray Ghost was involved, success was guaranteed to the fortunate few who were able to bring him to their side.

He had essentially become a glorified lottery ticket, something Bell hadn't accounted for when he planned to perform his usual vigilante clean-up.

'Damn it, why are so many people idiotically chasing after me?!'

Swinging from building to building with his agility and chained blades, Bell did his damndest to avoid being surrounded by fans, and on more than one occasion, intervene to avoid them being harmed in their pursuit of him.

'Looks like I'm gonna have to give up being a vigilante soon whether I like it or not. How in the hell am I supposed to fight crime if people hound me down at the slightest sighting?!'

Bell had begun to suffer the drawbacks of being a protagonist. Having the spotlight on himself would inevitably come at a cost.

'At least I was able to clean up most of the reported major criminal activity in the reports of the Hermes familia and gather intel about a couple of others… though I'll have to stock up on the many potions I had just bought Naaza…'

Landing on a tall building after confirming he was not being chased around anymore, Bell removed his mask to catch a breath.

Though he was more physically capable than before, he had to employ a ton of wacky and near bull-shit-like acrobatics to avoid being mobbed down like he was running away from a horde of zombies.

"I'll just leave this to Artemis and the huntresses after today. I have to focus on finding Hestia and raising my falna…"

But just as he was about to retire for the day, Bell began to sense the presence of a person in need of help. A loud crash onto the ground… slowly weakening breath… coarse exhalations… and the dripping of a stream of liquid onto the cold ground.

"Damn it"

『Reinforce』

Leaping through the various buildings with ease, he eventually came across the source of his urgency in an inconspicuous alleyway.

A dwarven man was slowly bleeding to death from a chest wound he had received. By Bell's observation, it was the result of an altercation gone wrong.

Descending quickly onto the ground, he began to do his best to perform first-aid on the bleeding dwarf. Bereft of healing potions or healing abilities, he could only project materials that could prolong his life until he could bring him to an appropriate medical center.

"Hey there, buddy. Just keep yourself awake for a bit. I'm going to be sending you to a hospital real quick, alright?"

"Hhhaaa… hhhaaa… my daughter… my… daughter… hhhaaa… hhhaaa…"

"You have a daughter? Keep thinking about her. Keep yourself awake for your daughter"

Projecting a thick blanket to help retain heat in the dwarf's body whilst applying pressure to the stab wound, Bell began to formulate what he should do next.

Recalling a near-perfect map of the various districts of Orario in his mind, he began to calculate the nearest stop where he could send the dwarf for help… and to his horror, the nearest hospital to his current location was the emergency treatment ward by the entrance of the dungeon.

"Damn it, I get this is a thousand-year-old city, but they could've at least had better urban planning for emergencies like these!"

'And I can't just exactly use my teleportation magic item on a dying man. I haven't tested it before, and I don't want to use him as a guinea pig…'

Bell was currently deep within one of the poorest slums of Orario. Outside of untrustworthy clinics that operate in the city's underground, he would need to expose himself at the most populous gathering spot of the city.

Saving this stranger or risking his identity being exposed at a gathering of powerful adventurers and thousands of people to block his escape?

"... Why should this even be a question?"

『Reinforce』

Taking the dying dwarf into his hands and tilting his body so that his remaining blood would continue flowing to his brain, he immediately departed to begin transporting him to the emergency ward at Babel.

But along the way, many criminal gangs recognized his attire and began attacking him en masse.

Seeing that he was preoccupied with a dying dwarf as baggage, they thought they had a clear shot at taking out the famed Gray Ghost… how wrong they were…

『Trace on』

Countless chained swords erupted from out of nowhere to clear a path for Bell to take. With the dying person in his hands, he couldn't employ the usual methods he would use to fast-travel around the dungeon city, so he was only left with traversing the distance on foot.

????… ????… ????...

A series of dust plumes erupted into the air as Bell continued wreaking havoc in order to bring the dying dwarf to the emergency ward.

But no matter how many criminals he knocked down, a new wave would simply follow with just as much stupidity as the last.

"Damn it!"

Faced with overwhelming numbers that he faced by himself while hindered, Bell began to grow frustrated at his misfortune, possibly spelling the end of a person he could've saved.

However, as if answering his prayers, a series of arrows began to rain down on his foes from afar.

"These arrows…"

"My huntresses, forward! Secure a path for the Gray Ghost!"

"As you will, my goddess!"

All around him, a series of flickering silhouettes made quick work of the group of criminals. They fought with a discipline and ferocity he was intimately familiar with.

"Artemis!"

"Hey, long time no see. It was easy to notice you having trouble with all the noise you made a while ago"

Leading the huntresses of her familia into battle, Artemis greeted Bell before pummeling countless criminal adventurers with her children in tow.

By the goddess' side, Rethusa, Lante, and Atalante began to carve a bloody trail through the path Bell needed to take.

As they did so, the familia's healers began to check on the dying dwarf's condition, to their shock, the injury he had sustained was one not treatable by most methods of healing.

He had been struck by a cursed weapon. One that negated most forms of healing unless treated with an anti-curse treatment first.

'Cursed weapon? Anti-healing? So that bastard has decided to make a ruckus as well…'

Bell had recognized who could possibly have caused such an injury, but it was something he would leave for later. For now, all he needed to do was focus on saving the dwarf.

"The emergency ward at Babel should currently be staffed by Airmid of the Dian Cecht familia! Head there quickly!"

Hearing her children's assessment that the injury was caused by a cursed weapon, Artemis began to inform Bell where the most famous anti-curse healer of Orario was currently located.

"Run like hell, Gray! We'll keep clearing a path for you! For the others, disperse and inform the Ganesha familia to secure a perimeter around the emergency ward! There will be a crowd hindering Gray!"

Rethusa began to shout out various commands as she continued to open a way for Bell to tread upon.

Seeing all of it unfold, Bell was extremely grateful for his good deeds coming back to repay him at this moment.

"I owe you all one! I'll visit you all later and cook you up the best rabbit stew of your lives!"

Hearing this promise of Bell, various huntresses of the Artemis familia felt their motivation rise even more than before, in particular, Atalante began giving her absolute best at the promise of eating his rabbit stew once more.

Running down the streets of the slum quicker than before, Bell could begin to see the emergency ward enter his view, but to his fear, the place was crowded with countless people.

It was nearing the end of the day, and countless adventurers and civilians hung around Babel. Unable to take any drastic movements with the remaining blood of the dwarf, Bell counted on another miracle to appear, and his wish was granted almost immediately.

"Clear the way!"

In an instant, various civilians began parting the crowd in order to forge a path ahead for the Gray Ghost.

Wearing gray medallions on their necks, the vigilante's fan club had overheard the reports of the Artemis familia's huntresses and moved to help their beloved hero.

"The Ganesha familia is too busy containing the crowd in other places in Orario, so we must help the Gray Ghost in their stead!"

"Roger!"

Countless men and women responded to the call. Varying in age and race, but sharing a commonality in their desire to pay back the Gray Ghost for the help they had received from him.

But the sudden splitting and hindering of the crowd had naturally caused some anger from people who were unaware of what was happening.

Countless adventurers began to threaten the civilian fan club members with violence if they didn't move from their positions.

Tired from fighting monsters all day, their inhibitions and tolerance for stress were at an all-time low. As the altercations were about to escalate, various powerful adventurers descended from the tower of Babel, having just exited their familia home at the very top floor… Folkvangr.

"Quiet down you level one scrubs! Shut up unless you wanna be beaten up!"

Leading a group of elite Freya familia adventurers, Allen led the operation to secure the path forged by the Gray Ghost's fan club.

The wild shouting of the familia's vice–captain was quite the effective deterrent at the growing unrest of the crowd, but overall, the discontent was quickly silenced at the arrival of one more Freya familia adventurer.

"..."

Standing imposingly at the other side of the path that Allen hadn't taken care of, Ottar's large and dominant presence immediately diminished any adventurer that wanted to destroy the path.

With his monstrous black greatsword on his back and a modified armor set based on the armor the beastman had received to combat the Behemoth, no one had the guts to rebel against the world's strongest adventurer… no longer possessing the title of king, but the alias that referred to a great war of the heavens. Level eight adventurer, Ottar the『Ragnarok』

"Damn it, why do we have to do this all of a sudden on a peaceful afternoon?"

"Quiet, Allen. It is the order of our goddess. Her will is our purpose"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. I'm just pissed it's for that white-haired bastard"

With the appearance of the Freya familia at that scene, the news of what was unfolding at Babel began to spread like wildfire among the public, growing curious as to what would elicit such a response from one of the most powerful familias in the world. Especially from their long-time rivals, the Loki familia.

"Huh, why are Freya's simps over there?"

Tired from sorting out the emergency that had occurred in the guild earlier that day, Loki was none too pleased to see that the Freya familia was making a very public appearance at Babel, especially considering that today was the return date of their main-force adventurers from a mid-floor dungeon dive.

"My, this is quite unusual for the Freya familia. Have they finally decided to wage war on us?"

Smiling with an analyzing glare, Finn pondered what was happening when he had just returned from the dungeon.

"Don't even joke about that, Finn. Our familia is more than willing to start a war for just meeting each other on the street"

Unwilling to take jokes despite his usual penchant for it, Gareth moved beside his friend with his armor beaten and bruised from tanking various monsters as training for their expedition.

"W-W-War?! L-Lady R-Riveria, Captain Finn, and Gareth weren't being serious about what they said… right?"

Growing nervous at the thought of other adventurers, Lefiya nervously asked Riveria for confirmation, to which the high-eld only replied with silence and a tightened grip on her wand.

"..."

Similar to Riveria, Ais clasped the hilt of her sword tightly as well. Locking her eyes on Ottar. In emergency cases where conflict between the Loki and Freya familia was inevitable, in every battle plan, the blonde swordswoman was assigned the task of facing and stalling Ottar.

With her『Ariel』and『Avenger』Ais was confident in her strength, but in the face of Ottar, her confidence began to falter as she couldn't realistically foresee a future where her sword could reach the towering beastman.

"Heh, a fight with the Freya familia, huh? Then that black alleycat is mine…"

Smiling wickedly, Bete declared his intention to take Allen for himself. As the fastest of his familia, the werewolf was constantly being compared to the black cat of the Freya familia, often in the context of being his inferior.

Always desiring to test his mettle and disprove all the annoying comparisons being made about him, Bete was extremely willing to engage in a battle to the death.

"Hey, Tiona, ready up"

Readying her weapons, Tione began to call out to her twin sister to prepare for the upcoming battle, but rather than responding, Tiona was left surprised as to what was happening. Leaving her twin sister without a response.

"Tiona! What the hell are you do-"

"That's my fan club over there! The Gray Ghost fan club!"

Cutting off her twin's anger–filled call, Tiona's words reached all the familia's executives, and in an instant, the more intelligent of them were able to deduce what was happening.

"Huh, Tiona? What are you talking about?"

Lefiya asked the amazoness in confusion what she meant by her words, but as if to answer the elf's question himself, Bell bursted forth from a series of buildings with immense speed and power.

A rain of chained blades landed all around his position as he continued to carry the dying dwarf in his hands.

His projections continued to pour out and threatened to land in the crowd, but just before it made an impact, they had all dissipated into the air. Leaving behind only a mystic trail of magical energy.

As Bell made it to the entrance of the emergency ward, countless doctors poured out to receive the patient in his hands. Most notably, Airmid Teasanare led the group of doctors in receiving the dying dwarf.

"What's his condition?"

The famed saintly healer didn't pay mind to the ridiculous scenario around her and focused exclusively on the patient who was being rested on a stretcher.

Hearing her question, Bell began to recite all the information she needed to hear.

"Stab wound located in the left side of the abdomen. Disinfected and undergone a preliminary treatment of healing and potions, but they have been repelled by a curse. Most likely originating from a cursed weapon. In detail…"

Bell began to recite countless in-depth descriptions of medical and magical knowledge that most trained doctors wouldn't know about.

The sheer mass of knowledge and expert diagnosing he had displayed left Airmid silent in surprise, but quickly smiling in appreciation of his dedication.

"Thank you, Gray Ghost. I should have a general idea of how to dispel the anti-healing curse, but I'll need some assistance to prolong the patient's life…"

With her words, Airmid's troubles were quickly dispelled as Riveria volunteered herself and her disciple Lefiya to the task. Leaving the poor young elf shocked and nervous that she would be needed for such a task.

"Lady Riveria! I don't think I can-"

"Just stick by my side, Lefiya, we can't miss out on this"

The high-elf recognized the countless publicity this event would gain in the days to come. In order to match with the Freya familia who have very publicly assisted the famed vigilante, the Loki familia would need to match their contribution, something only Riveria and Lefiya could accomplish right then and there.

"Thank you for your assistance, Lady Riveria, Lady Lefiya"

"Think nothing of it, Airmid"

"Y-Yeah, it's no problem…"

Airmid and Riveria began to head inside the emergency ward with the patient, closely behind, Lefiya was about to follow them, but she was left behind as she got stuck crossing gazes with the famous vigilante she had always been hearing about.

"... Eh?"

"..."

The young elf was left shocked that a person like the Gray Ghost was staring deeply into her eyes. An immense weight began to be placed on her shoulders as she realized a person who spawned countless famous stories was now looking directly at her.

"... u-um, d-do you need something?"

"... Nothing. Just take care of yourself"

"... eh?"

Lefiya thought she must've misheard something because she could've sworn that the world-famous Gray Ghost just told her to take care of herself.

Had they met before? Did they have a previous connection that she was currently unaware of? Countless questions flowed through the young elf's mind until… she remembered that she had a patient to help save.

Realizing her error and fumbling with her staff a bit, the young elf quickly headed inside the emergency ward without even so much as bidding goodbye to the vigilante, which would later haunt her mind as her greatest social disaster.

…

..

.

"..."

The silence was the only reaction the crowd currently had in the situation. In front of their eyes was the elusive Gray Ghost.

A vigilante that cemented his place in the world with countless inspiring deeds, and stories from all over the world.

For many, this was their first seeing the legend in the flesh, witnessing his powers firsthand, and experiencing his mysterious powers with their own senses.

His creation of weapons that seemingly appeared and disappeared at will, naturally drew the attention of many.

His athletic ability to run and maneuver himself with proficiency caught the interest of many curious souls.

His advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of magic and medicine stunned countless.

Many people disassociated the Gray Ghost from a real person as more and more unbelievable stories began to circulate about his adventurers, but now, at the tower of the center of the world, he laid himself bare for all to see.

What should they do? What should they say? What would be the best thing to do when faced with a figure who embodied the spirit and mystique of a hero?

"Huntresses… ready to suppress the crowd if they begin to swarm the Gray Ghost"

Appearing on the scene shortly after Bell, Artemis and her huntresses prepared to secure an escape route for Bell should the situation turn south.

"All personnel on standby. I want constant surveillance of the crowd. This is a prime time for Bell's enemies to strike, we must keep vigilant"

Hiding in the shadows and within the crowd, Hermes and Asfi commanded their familia to keep wary of any possible threat to Bell that may arise at this moment in time.

"You know what to do right, Allen?"

"Yeah, I may hate the guy, but I know better now than to go against Lady Freya's wishes"

Lastly, standing as his last line of defense, Allen, Ottar, and the accompanying elites of the Freya familia, stood on guard to respond to any crisis.

But these three groups alone weren't the only ones willing to act in aid of the Gray Ghost.

The civil guards of the Ganesha familia were hurriedly making their way to Babel to maintain order.

The workers of the guild were doing their damndest to gather information in order to best allocate their resources, with Eina leading the operations fervently.

The adventurers of the Aphrodite familia waited with bated breath to secure Bell's safety.

The potion-makers of the Miach familia, who were delivering commissioned potions, stood still as the situation unfolded. Particularly a wide-eyed Naaza.

The blacksmiths of the Hephaestus familia stood on stand-by as their goddess nervously watched the situation from on high in Babel.

A group of prominent adventurers who had just exited the dungeon watched in anxiety as Bell received the stares of thousands. Lili, Welf, Scaith, and Setanta.

Even far away in the red-light district, Haruhime, who had lost herself in reading, shifted her attention as she noticed a conjugation of noise and people at the tower of Babel.

Orario's eyes were now placed squarely on Bell, and the spotlight was blinding.

"What to do…"

Bell pondered on how to best respond to his current situation. He could try running, but that might instigate a stampede to chase after him by the more idiotic folks in the crowd.

He could try teleporting, but he would be exposing one of his abilities to countless eyes. It would be ideal for him to keep his hand close to his chest until he can grow to a certain point.

As he was wondering what to do, a lone voice pierced through the silence.

"Thank you, Gray Ghost! Thank you for saving my daddy!"

A childish voice resounded through the air to express her gratitude to the vigilante.

A young dwarven girl broke through the perimeter, stood at the center of the path, and shouted with all her voice.

"Thank you for saving my daddy! Thank you! Thank you!"

"My daughter?! What are you doing there?!"

As the young dwarf spoke out, her mother could be seen struggling to push through the crowd in order to get her back. Seeing this, Bell finally saw what he needed to do.

????… ????… ????...

His footsteps echoed throughout the vicinity as he neared ever closer to the young child. Before long, he kneeled right in front of her as he began to speak.

"Your daddy is a very strong man, you know? So you must be pretty strong yourself. I need a strong person like you to do something for me, ok?"

"Yeah! Anything!"

"Atta girl, your daddy is going to need a lot of help to heal. So I'll need a partner to help me. While I continue protecting your daddy in the city, I need you to be a strong girl for him"

Speaking with a gentle and patient voice, Bell outlined to the young child what she needed to do to help her father.

"I need you to tell your daddy how much you love him, and I need you to help your mommy with whatever she needs. If she needs help with the chores, you do them. If she needs you to sleep early, you sleep early… and if she needs you to eat your vegetables…"

"Ugh! Even my vegetables?!"

"Haha, even your vegetables, kid. Only someone like you can help me out here… so are you willing to partner up?"

Extending his pinky towards her, the dwarven child eagerly reciprocated the gesture with starry eyes.

"Un! I'll do my best, Gray Ghost!"

"I knew you could do it!"

Hearing her acceptance of his request, Bell quickly carried the girl in his arms before gently passing her off to her mother.

As the child waved goodbye energetically, he responded with a simple wave of his own. Soon, the situation began to spur other people to give their thanks to the Gray Ghost.

"Gray Ghost! You saved my brother once in the dungeon! Thank you!"

"You saved my mom from getting attacked by a gang two years ago! Thank you so much!"

"I almost died to an infant dragon near the early floors when I was level one! I am now alive and level two thanks to you!"

Bell began to drown in a sea of cheers and thanks as the public finally had a chance to express their gratitude to their hidden hero.

Their voices resounded throughout the city and even reached the top of the tower of Babel, eliciting a warm smile from the goddess who rested at its top.

Bell had entered the spotlight and was greeted with thunderous cheers and applause for his performance.

"Thank the heavens that nothing bad happened…"

Artemis and her huntresses were relieved of their tension as Bell defused the situation with his display of kindness and heroism.

The same rang true for the various focuses who were waiting on the sidelines to assist him if anything went wrong.

Seeing everything unfolding around him, Bell figured now was the opportune time to leave. But unable to use his teleportation, and feeling an itch to showboat a little, he decided to exit the stage in a rather dramatic way.

『Reinforce』

Flashes of blue bolts of magic erupted all around him as he broke off into a sprint. Heading towards the tower of Babel with immense speed, Bell proceeded to jump to the wall of the imposing tower before climbing it.

Using his acrobatics to scale the tower with finesse, he continued doing so until he reached a sufficient height, where he subsequently pushed off the tower and began to free-fall downwards.

『Trace on』

Projecting two chained blades into his hands, Bell threw them toward the tower. The blades lodged themselves into the tower's structure, and the chains began to move with immense activity.

As he neared closer and closer to the ground, the crowd's anxiety grew and grew, but right before he landed on the ground, Bell's chain straightened and he began to swing with it.

"What the hell?!"

Loki exclaimed as she couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Not only did he create weapons out of thin air, he possessed the strength and acrobatics to scale the tower of Babel, and use it as a support to swing off of.

Bell continued to gather speed with his swing before dismissing his chains and projecting another pair. Repeating this cycle non-stop as he swung away off into the distance, with none being able to match his acceleration.

…

..

.

"Hhhaa… hhhaaa… hhhaaa… two days in a row, I end the day extremely tired…"

Walking out of an alleyway after changing out of his vigilante attire, Bell struggled to walk as his body ached all over, but the discomfort soon went away as his Avalon did its job.

The sun began to set as the night sky soon began to take over once more over the curtain that covered the world.

The stars shimmered down upon the tired hero as he pondered on where to satiate his hungry stomach.

'Not the Hostess, Freya will definitely pester me about a while ago… and I don't want to experience second-hand embarrassment from all the people talking about me…'

Bereft of his favorite pub for dinner time, Bell began to consider different options for food, but none of them spoke to him or his growling stomach, so he decided to swing by the market to pick up some ingredients to make himself and Lili a quick dinner.

'The struggles of being a protagonist takes a real toll on the body and mind…'

As he walked with an empty head and an empty stomach, Bell wondered if his luck would turn around to compensate him for such a series of misfortune situations… and it would appear that he would be right.

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

A gust of wind blew past Bell's face as a voice began to reach his ears, a voice he was extremely familiar with.

"Damn it! I thought going away for a bit to Melen would allow me to find some children there… I should've known most people in a fishing town would want to be in a fishing familia…"

A spritely voice complained out to the open air, but though she appeared to be facing immense struggles, her spirit was far from breaking.

"Alright! Sixty-eight recruitment was a bust, so the next one should be the best! I heard a bunch of people say sixty-nine is a special number in the lower world… perhaps the winds shall change and enhance my fortune! HAHAHA! AGH?!-"

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Responding to the voice, the gust of wind began to increase with strength. Her long black hair began to push her forward, causing one of the recruitment notice posters she had been carrying to be taken away into the breeze.

"Ah! My poster! Those cost a fortune to print! Get back here!"

An energetic small girl began to chase after the wayward poster with determination to save as much money as she possibly can. But with her short stature and abundant features weighing her down, she was unfortunately unable to keep up.

"Hhhaa… Hhhaa… curse my short height… can anybody please cut me a break and help?!"

And without delay, Bell responded to her call.

『Reinforce』

Leaping up into the air with immense force, catching the poster, and deftly landing on the ground. Bell examined the poster in his hands and couldn't help but break into a smile as he read the contents of the parchment.

『Looking for a family? Guaranteed warmth and love by the goddess of the hearth! The Hestia familia is now recruiting for new members!... P.S. Compensation and salary are to be discussed in person 』

"Hey! Thanks a lot for catching that! You really jump quite high! You're just brimming with talent and potentially worthy of the gods! Humu humu, fate must have brought us together this breezy night! We must not waste any more time! I am Hestia, goddess of the Hearth! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Hestia, upon noticing the bizarre physicality of the person who had helped her, immediately began to try and entice him into joining her familia.

Utilizing the skills she had gained over months of failed recruitment, the potato goddess was assured in her ability to trap most people in a conversation.

"Fate, huh? I suppose I can believe that. It's nice to meet you, goddess Hestia"

But no such tactics were needed for Hestia to draw the attention of the talented mortal in front of her. Taking away the parchment that obscured his face, the goddess was immediately captivated by the human she had just met.

"I am Bell Cranel. A sixteen-year-old human looking for a familia… would you be willing to accept me into your family, dear goddess?"

The celestial curtain veiled their meeting in a cover of brilliant starlight and the winds spurred forth the crossing of their paths with a spirited traveler's breeze.

The dungeon city may be set ablaze in a discussion of the Gray Ghost, but at that moment, only the goddess and the human were all that remained in the world.

Like the crucial intertwining of fates in a storybook, so too did the springs of their destinies become entangled with one another with a simple exchange of greetings.

"Yes…"

With a heated face and a beating heart, the goddess stepped one step closer to greet the destiny she had always yearned for.

"It's so very nice to meet you, my first child!"

…

..

.

Editor:

The Darkest Knight#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Finally! It has arrived! Bell and Hestia meeting!

We will now be focusing on Bell's development as an adventurer. Prepare for the absolute text dump that would be this mc's status HAHAHA.

Anyways, that will be all from me for now.

Hope you look forward to the next chapter, and as always, may you all have a nice day!