Chapter 57: The Birth of a Trio

'Phew, it was hard to escape Aisha and her lust, and to be honest, I was close to just accepting her advances…'

Recalling the way the amazoness woman pressed her malleable curves onto his body, Bell wouldn't be a man if he didn't admit to being aroused.

But as much of a pervert as he was, he set down some ground rules which he would never allow himself to cross which would just make him an asshole.

'Only do it with women who are willing to stick with only me, who I also have a history with. It may seem unfair given that I am pursuing multiple women, but I can blame whichever destiny gave me the blessing of having partners willing to accept my harem desires…'

If he just accepted any woman willing to have him into their bed, he would be abusing the goodwill the goddess' and the queen gave him. Trusting that he would know enough self-restraint to not become a manwhore.

'Also for the fact that I don't want to destroy my lucky streak of my lovers being amicable with one another. It only takes one bad egg to bring the entire atmosphere into chaos…'

Fearing what might happen should Artemis, Athena, Freya, Arry, and Hephaestus become hostile with another woman, Bell realized that with great power came great responsibility.

'But enough talk about harems, I should probably head back to my hideout to check up on Lili. Make sure that she's alright'

Moving across the various buildings of Orario under the cover of night, Bell made his way to the ruins district and began heading to his hideout.

Scaling the walls of the decrepit building and entering a window, he began to unmanifest his attire as the Gray Ghost before making his way through the hallways of the house.

"I should've left some leftover food for her to eat. If it has run out, I'll cook some more. There should be some ingredients left…"

Arriving at the kitchen, he became surprised as he noticed Lili attempting to make her own food without any of his assistance.

Her eyes struggled to comprehend a cooking book by her side, and her hands handled ingredients with some difficulty, it was obvious to see that the pallum was a novice.

"How does Lord Bell do this so effortlessly? I have already broken so many eggs with my strength…"

Smiling gently at the sight of his spear doing her best to learn a new skill, Bell took an apron hanging by the kitchen entrance and began to assist the struggling pallum.

"I'll help you out, Lili. It's admirable to learn by yourself, but always reach out to be taught when given the chance"

"L-Lord Bell?!"

Lili grew flustered as her poor and messy excuse of cooking became exposed to him, but Bell didn't let her dwell on it as he began to guide her on the recipe she was trying to follow.

The pair began to be immersed in their late-night cooking session, and before long, Lili was able to prepare the dish she was trying so hard to make.

A simple stew often made in Orario households with some common ingredients. Seeing the pallum grow ecstatic at her success, Bell felt that he needed to pop the question to the person who was one of the people who suffered most from his travels.

"Lili, do you want to become my lover?"

"... huh?"

"My lover, a part of my harem. You may have to share me, but I want to reciprocate the love you have shown me"

"... eh?"

Faced with the blunt question of Bell, Lili could only grow red and flustered, just as similarly as many women throughout the day.

However, though she was confused at first, the pallum was quick to calm down as she had long thought about what she would do in this type of scenario.

Before she would've likely become a conflicted mess of wanting to love her hero and mentor but not wanting to share him with other women.

But after reflecting on the night she saw him frolicking in the night market with Hestia, the pallum came to a realization she had long avoided acknowledging. She was simply far too jealous.

Her magic『Ira Fianna』enhanced her emotions and desires greatly, and though she was able to control it most of the time, it would always grow out of control when it came to matters regarding Bell.

Her desire to keep Bell only to herself was one that would become a detriment to him. He found happiness and stability in the company of countless women who were able to stick by his side when she could not.

She did not know what the goddess and queen he was betrothed to look like in his presence, but seeing the smile on the goddess Hesia's face the previous night, Lili realized that his significance in her life was the same… if not more in the lives of others.

With this in mind, Lili raised her head as she sent a clear and determined gaze to Bell. Before she was a maiden in love, she was her lord's spear. His weapon would fell all who oppose him and would safeguard all he treasures from all harm.

"It was my long-yearned wish to be able to love you, Lord Bell… but as it stands, I am simply far too immature…"

Her jealousy against Scaith. Her jealousy against Freya and Arry. Her jealousy against Hestia. She would simply become a weight for Bell to carry if she were to accept his love.

"As it stands, I wish to first better myself as a person, then better myself as your spear. My desire to fulfill the oath which gave me purpose all those years ago… that is my main priority as of now, Lord Bell"

She was a knight before a girl. Just as she had done so a thousand years ago as Fianna, the spear of the Fianna knights; she would do so now as Liliruca Arde, the spear of Bell Cranel.

"..."

Hearing her answer, Bell could only smile gently in silence as he witnessed the little girl he saved so long ago continue to grow into a splendid young woman.

'Though she's technically older than me in this life…'

Tossing aside that weird technicality, he began to pat the head of Lili as he gave her his support on the path she wanted to follow.

"Then. I'll be looking forward to your growth, my spear knight"

"Yes! Please look forward to it, Lord Bell!"

…

..

.

"I'm home…"

After finishing up his business with Lili and coordinating the details for their joint dungeon dive for the coming day, Bell quietly announced his return to the abandoned church with a pot of food in his hands. A pot of the stew he had made with Lili.

'Is Hestia still up at this time?'

Bell wondered as he didn't remember the goddess being adept at staying up late in the stories of his past life. But regardless, he began to make his way down to the basement which presented him with an endearing sight.

"Bell…"

A sleeping Hestia unknowingly called out his name. Sitting on the couch with her head hung down from her unconsciousness, Bell smiled at the realization that his goddess did her best to wait for his return.

"The book I gave her is even by her side. This goddess really is too dedicated to raising her familia…"

Picking up the petite goddess with his hands, he began gently carrying her to the bed. Laying her down slowly before covering her with the sheets, she slept unperturbed.

"It's almost midnight. I should start sleeping as well… ????…"

Shutting the magic stone lights and lamps across the room, Bell began to undress himself to wear his night attire. The moon's shimmer bathed his muscular body in the moonlight.

As he changed, however, he began to feel a piercing gaze begin to observe his actions thoroughly. Eyeing up his entire body without an ounce of shame.

"Hestia?"

Turning his head, Bell could only see the goddess of the hearth still fast asleep in the bed. With her out of the picture, there was only one culprit left in his mind.

"Freya…"

He was sure that the goddess of beauty was still awake in Folkvangr, using her divine crystal ball to observe him changing from the small windows of the basement.

He couldn't scold the goddess for her peeping, as audio was not transmitted through the crystal ball, only video.

'I could try doing sign language, but I have a feeling she would continue doing this until I actually go to Folkvangr and discipline her'

With that in mind, Bell decided to indulge in her desires and give her a bit of fanservice for the goddess. What he performed that night would become a mystery that only Bell and Freya would know about.

However, what was known was that distinct alluring sounds could be heard later at night from the goddess' resting quarters atop the tower of Babel.

"????… How troubling it is to keep a goddess like Freya satisfied…"

Done with his private show for Freya, Bell readied himself to sleep as he sank into the mattress of the bed. But soon, his senses would be bombarded with sensations as Hestia drew near to him.

"MMMmmmmhh… be safe…"

Mumbling in her sleep, Bell's eyes began to close as he gently spoke words of reassurance to his every worrying familia goddess.

"Don't worry, I am. Goodnight, Hesti"

"Night… Bell…"

…

..

.

'Is this going to be something I have to get used to?'

Waking up in the morning, Hestia thought to herself with a reddened face as she realized she was in yet another compromising situation so early in the morning.

She was full-blown embracing Bell with her arms around his chest, and her legs wrapped around his.

She didn't remember when she was placed in the bed, so she could only ashamedly assume that her child had to carry her.

'I could deal with this, I can admit that I'm a bit clingy to my first child… but why must I deal with that stiff thing as well?!'

Beneath her thigh which wrapped around her child's body, Bell's Excalibur was at attention at the first crack of dawn. Like a trained soldier who survived many battlefields.

It pulsed and shook against the supple skin of the goddess' bare thighs, which only brought flusteredness and curiosity to the virgin goddess.

'D-Do all guys become like this in the morning? D-Does it hurt for Bell to be like this in the morning?

Hestia had never learned much about a man's physiology throughout all her years of existence in the heavens. Mostly due to the fact that she never became curious enough to explore the bodies of any of the gods.

But after meeting her first child to whom she quickly became attached, the hearth goddess began to grow more and more curious about the topic known as the male body.

How was it possible for a human child to develop such disciplined muscles? How the wideness of her child's back was able to instill such reassurance in her heart.

How his large hand was able to comfort her no matter how much of a mess she was, and lastly, what desires and reactions brought about the nature of his phallic appendage.

'I remembered Aphrodite talking about how she would release the pressure of stiff… p-penises… should I be doing that for the relief of my child?'

Without proper knowledge of how sex and the pleasures of the flesh, Hestia's mind began to wildly misconstrue the words of the goddess of love in a rather radical definition.

Her fingers began to slowly reach out to pull out the sword from the stone, but Hestia's actions were quickly stopped as Bell began to wake.

"Hmmm? Hesti?"

"EH?! OH! UH! G-GOOD MORNING, BELL!"

"Huh?"

Quickly unentangling herself from Bell, the goddess began greeting her awoken child with a nervous expression as her heart beat loudly within her chest for almost being caught.

"Good morning, I guess? You're quite energetic so early… ????…"

Raising himself up, Bell began to stretch away his sleepiness, but he began to notice strange behavior in his goddess' eyes.

'She's taking quick glances at something… oh…'

Realizing what was happening, he had forgotten that the virgin goddess wasn't very well knowledgeable about the subject of male anatomy.

'She was quite the pervert for the original Bell in the story, so she must've self-taught herself after getting no progress with him… I suppose it's better that I teach her before she gets any misunderstandings'

Chuckling faintly before looking at the blushing Hestia, Bell began to explain to her the phenomenon known as 'morning wood'.

"This is nothing to worry about, Hesti. Men just act like this in the morning. It's a sign that we're healthy and functioning normally"

"E-Ehm, does it hurt when it's… stiff?"

"Hm? Oh, not really. Only when it's stiff for like an hour, then it might start to hurt. But this is fine"

"O-Oh, I see…so you're ok, Bell?"

"Absolutely fine, it will go away in a bit now that I'm awake"

Following his words, Bell's Excalibur began to deflate as he plopped himself off of the bed to begin his morning routine.

"Go ahead and shower first, Hesti. I'll whip us up a quick breakfast"

"Ok, what we'll we be having?"

With some apprehension in her voice and body language, Hestia didn't know how to best navigate the mood as she just finished learning about a rather sensitive part of her child's body.

Noticing this, Bell decided to take her attention away from her fascination with his penis by announcing what he planned to make for their breakfast.

"Pancake with syrup, and some sausage"

"Pancakes?! I love pancakes!"

"Hehe, then freshen up so that you can start eating them, Hesti"

With the promise of pancakes in the morning, Hestia quickly moved on from her awkward mood and began heading toward the bathroom to freshen up.

The sound of the burning stovetop resonated with the gentle sounds of splashing bathwater. Another peaceful morning for the Hestia familia.

…

..

.

"Status update?"

"Yeah, I wanna do one real quick"

After eating their meals, Bell asked Hestia for her to perform an update on his status. It had only been one day since he began accumulating excelia with his status, but after briefly recalling some of his insane abilities, the goddess began to understand not to apply the convention to her child.

"Alright, we've just eaten, so just hunch you back over at the sofa. I'll get the needle and parchment ready"

"Alright"

╔════▣◎▣════╗

Bell Cranel

Level-1

[????????]  I-0 > I-97

[?????????]  I-0 > H-153

[??????????]  I-0 > I-99

[???????] I-0 > I-98

[?????] I-0 > H-124

╚════▣◎▣════╝

"WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT, BELL?!"

"Eh?"

Seeing the drastic boost in Bell's stats, Hestia exclaimed with shock as she couldn't believe what she just witnessed.

Though the boost in stats was somewhat believable to the goddess, given his abilities and history, what shocked her most were the memories that went into her mind with the update.

The gods and goddesses of a familia are able to vaguely glimpse into how their children were able to accrue the excelia they gained with their falna.

Mostly these glimpses just tell them their general mood or the severity of the situation, but in Bell's case just then, Hestia only felt an immense burst of heat surrounding him.

It was a flame that she was aware of, the evil-purging hellfire of the gods of justice. It was a flame that stopped at nothing until all evil it was set upon was fully burnt in the embrace of its heat.

Examining his status, Hestia found the magic which she believed gave her child access to a weapon designed for use in the heavens. [????? ?? ???????]

"Don't use this skill for now, Bell! It'll burn you alive if you use it incorrectly!"

"Calm down, Hesti. I know"

"You don't! This is a weapon of heaven! A mortal shouldn't be using this!"

Her concern grew out of control. The goddess began to panic as to what cruel mistress of fate gave her child such a self-destructive ability.

She saw too many times how gods and spirits of justice would burn themselves into ash to carry out their duties. Especially during the great wars that erupted among the gods.

(E/D: I use Stella only once a day.)

'I can't lose Bell to this fire. It's too cruel! Justice? It simply turns the envoy into a machine of its will! What kind of justice is that?'

As Hestia's mind began to sink deeper and deeper into chaos as she imagined the sight of her beloved child burning into ash for his dreams… her mind was elucidated as she began to be embraced by Bell.

[??????? ??????: ????????]

Utilizing the skill born from Freya's Sessrumnir, Bell began to take control of Hestia's vulnerable mind and bring her back to a state of calmness.

Being careful with its usage, as it was his first time utilizing it, he made sure to gently ease the goddess back to her regular self.

"Don't worry, Hesti. I won't burn myself up into ash… I already learned my lesson of sacrificing myself to do reckless things. Trust me, I don't want to experience it again"

"..."

Sinking further into his arms, Hestia pleaded with her child with all of her heart, her tears staining the cloth of his shirt.

"I don't want my familia to be the richest, most powerful, or even the most famous… I don't care if I don't receive any new members, or if we continue living in this dinky old church… I just want you to return back to me safe and sound at the end of the day, Bell"

Taking her head into his hands and soothing her further, Bell accepted his goddess' request. He will not turn into a tragic hero of justice. He will make sure that he can witness and experience the dream that lies at the end of his ideals.

"I will always return to you, Hestia. I promise"

…

..

.

"Stay safe in the dungeon, Bell! I'll be heading off!"

"I will, you stay safe too, Hesti. Don't follow any strangers into a dark alley!"

"H-Hey! I'm not a child!"

"Whatever you say~"

Seeing Hestia off from the entrance to the abandoned church, with a mug of coffee in his hands, Bell waved goodbye as his goddess disappeared into the horizon of the ruins district.

When her visage disappeared from his view, he let out a sigh as he pondered on the best way to tell her the truth about his love life.

'How do I tell someone that I am dating three of her friends, along with two other women?'

Unable to formulate an answer to his woes, Bell decided to speculate on it for another time as he began to prepare to head off himself.

Putting on his clothes for the dungeon and projecting Kanshou and Bakuya to his waists to maintain appearances, Bell began heading off to meet what would soon become his main dungeon diving party.

'I'll finally be exploring the dungeon with Lili and Welf. I'm sure the two were able to get along as per the letters I left them when I left. I wonder how strong they both are now compared to their original selves?'

Bell had awakened the powers of Fianna within Lili, allowing the pallum to rise well and above her fate as a powerless supporter relying only on her wit and intellect.

And Welf had broken past his trauma and stubbornness regarding his Crozzo family blood, fully dedicating himself to improving his smithing abilities by crafting magic swords.

'As per what Lili told me, she was able to level up to level three after having her status hover around S, while Welf is the same level but with a status hovering around C to B with a single A stat in dexterity'

Though Welf's status would be in the upper tiers of adventurers in Orario, Bell was most surprised by Lili's announcement of earning S rank in all her parameters, with a single SS rank in magic.

'Who would've known that she would gain an excelia boosting skill similar to Liaris Freese, or my Memoria Freese? I should swing by Soma's familia home later tonight to discuss her status…'

With a wide smile from his growing anticipation of how his changes to the story would come out, Bell began traveling with haste towards the tower of Babel.

…

..

.

"Woah, it's『Ignis』and 『IgKnight』!"

"Shut up, dude! You shouldn't be rude to adventurers like them!"

All around the dungeon's entrance at Babel, countless lower-tier adventurers and supporters began to stare in awe at a duo who was standing in wait.

On the left was the famed magic sword blacksmith of the Hephaestus familia, Welf Crozzo. Spoken in high praise by high-tier adventurers for the quality of his blades.

He is the current pride of the family of master smiths who were respected throughout the continent. His talents even warranted the desires and envy of the Loki and Freya familias.

On the right was the highly discussed pallum adventurer of the Soma familia, Liliruca Arde. Surrounded by controversy for her level-up record, but undeniably talented and stronger with her fiery lance.

She quickly became a figure of renown among the pallum race, becoming another testament that pallums are capable of being strong, alongside Finn and the Gulliver brothers.

The pair were a common sight in the dungeon as they both frequently explored its depths with one another.

Lili wanted to further her own strength, and Welf wanted to test out his creations against monsters, similarly to how his captain Tsubaki would do.

But today was different for the two. They would usually head into the dungeon with some bantering, but never once did they stand in wait.

Why are they just standing there? Are they waiting for something? Are they waiting for someone? Who would be capable of making the two famous adventurers wait for so long?

Such questions were going around the minds of the crowd, but beyond their knowing, the mindset of the duo was far different from what they expected it to be.

"... Welf, you're way too nervous"

"Gah! Can you blame me, Lili?! I mean, I'm meeting HIM! After two years, I'm suddenly going on an adventure with HIM! Of course, I would be nervous!"

Having been informed two days prior by Lili about Gray Ghost's desire to explore the dungeon alongside him and the pallum, Welf grew nervous at finally being able to meet the hero who had saved him again after two years.

"What if he becomes disappointed in me, you know? Did you hear how the guy dropped two giant swords from the sky?! How do my puny magic swords compare to that?!"

"... Welf, just calm down"

"Why are you emotionless, you damn arson knight?!"

Growing frustrated at his friend's lack of emotional support through this turbulent time of his, Welf began to wonder just how in the world Gray Ghost was able to tame someone like Lili.

"If only you were like Scaith, she always provides good advice for situations like these"

"Tsk"

Wanting to pay her back, Welf decided to hit the pallum in her sore spot by comparing her to her rival, Scaith of the Lugh familia. Another talented level-three spear fighter, who was often compared to Lili in various discussions.

"Speaking of Scaith, Setanta said that she wants to serve… HIM… after he saved her once, right? Why don't you introduce her to HIM? I'm sure HE would appreciate recruiting someone as talented as her"

Welf knew that Lili was a student of the Gray Ghost, alongside the stories of how the Queen of Shalzard was also a fellow student, and some rumors that even Ottar studied under him, the blacksmith wondered why the pallum didn't do anything with Scaith.

"Heh, afraid Scaith might take away your spot as HIS favorite spear fighter?"

"... Yeah, I was afraid of being replaced"

In a rare moment of vulnerability from Lili that Welf didn't expect, the blacksmith began to feel bad about touching a hurting spot of his friend. He didn't know all the details, but he knew that the pallum went through a lot of issues as a child.

"Sorry about that, Lili"

"... ????… It's alright, Welf. What you said wasn't wrong. I'll try and find Scaith tonight and convince her to meet with HIM. My ego shouldn't get in the way of my lord's plans…"

Seeing that Lili's mood had soured, Welf decided to lighten up the atmosphere with some well-needed blacksmith appreciation. Something he learned quite thoroughly as a youth from Tsubaki.

Placing his calloused hand on top of Lili's head, the blacksmith began to intensely rub his palm against her scalp. All the while shooting salvos of compliments her way. Such was the blacksmith's way of turning a frown upside down.

"Hey, why so down? No matter how much Scaith trains, ain't no way HE will find another fire-shooting, explosion-loving, and cold-blooded spear fighter like you!"

"H-Huh? What are you- Stop rubbing my head like that- It hurts-"

"The pain drives away the depression, as per the words of my captain. I ain't gonna stop until you say that you aren't getting replaced, Lil' Lili"

"Guh- Why should I? And Stop calling me 'Lil' Lili'! I told you I don't like it!"

"But you are little, Lili! A little pallum spear knight! Why deny what the gods gave you? Rock your short height, you flaming gremlin!"

"Agh! I'm gonna beat you with my flames, Welf!"

"HAHAHAHA! That's more like the Lili I know!"

Like a pair of siblings roughhousing, Welf and Lili began to goof around in the area surrounding Babel, much to the shock of the observing crowd.

But before long, their banter was halted by the arrival of a person who laughed with glee upon seeing two of his favorite characters recreate the relationship he enjoyed deeply in the story.

"Sorry for ruining the little moment you two were having, Lili"

"Lord Bell?!"

Seeing the white-haired man that she swore her loyalty to, Lili began to grow red with embarrassment as she was caught in a state she would usually not be in.

"I'm usually not like this! This idiot just aggravated me so-"

"I get it, I get it, but I liked the way you looked. I'm happy when I see you smile without worry"

"T-That's not fair, Lord Bell…"

Receiving his compliment head-on, Lili's red of embarrassment became a red of flusteredness as she quietly melted into a puddle of confusion.

Chuckling at what has become of the pallum, Bell turned his head to meet the second person he planned on meeting that day.

"You look good, Welf. Way better than that stubborn blacksmith I met two years ago"

Extending his arm out to the blacksmith, Bell smiled as he greeted and reunited with the Rakian noble and magic sword blacksmith he hadn't talked to in a long time.

"Pfft- Here I was getting all worried about if I should be formal or not. Well, I much prefer this to being uptight and stiff. Reminds me of those annoying noble banquets I had to attend"

Reciprocating Bell's greeting with a firm shake of his hand, Welf smiled widely as he greeted back the vigilante that had given his hammer and anvil a new flame of inspiration.

"Welf Crozzo, smith of the Hephaestus familia. I was looking forward to meeting 'ya, Bell Cranel"

Under the dazzling rays of the sun, the trio that would soon become the center of the greatest familia in the world was formed.

…

..

.

"How interesting, so you the reason you carry around so many swords is because they all have effects that aid in dungeon exploration?"

"Yep, there really isn't a role for my type of fighting style, so I like to classify myself as a buffer more than a frontline fighter. In addition to being a blacksmith"

Going down the stairs of the dungeon, Welf began to explain to Bell how exactly he explored the dungeon with Lili.

Equipped with countless swords on his waist and back, the Crozzo's appearance as an adventurer was quite bizarre, to say the least.

Each sword he carried was a magic sword created to produce effects that would greatly aid in the exploration of the dungeon, something that greatly helped Lili's immense progress.

"Take this shortsword, it may appear to be just any regular gladius, but I created it to manifest a bright light that would illuminate any dark path!"

"Interesting"

Bell became fascinated with the unique swords Welf had made. Examining them with his eyes, he could tell just how well-made they were.

Had he not studied the methodology of blacksmiths in Altena, he doubted that he would've been able to reproduce a sword near the original's quality.

"It's cool right? I use this beauty all the time! I call 'em『Mr. White』!"

"Pfft-"

Taken aback by the sudden declaration of Welf, Bell had suddenly remembered an unimportant tidbit he had as a blacksmith, that being, he had a horrible naming sense for his weapons.

"Ugh, your naming sense sucks, as usual, Welf"

"Huh? What's wrong with my naming sense?『Mr. White』is an adorable name for this cute sword!"

Hearing Welf's words, Bell struggled to imagine a certain TV show's main character as cute and adorable. To say the least, it was not a pleasant image to imagine.

Before Lili and Welf could begin arguing once more about how badly the blacksmith named his weapons, the trio had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the first floor of the dungeon.

"Hm? We're here! Alright, let's get moving!"

Realizing their exploration has now begun, on instinct, Welf began to draw forth a rapier magic sword. Excited to show off another one of his favorite swords to the vigilante.

"Yo, Bell. You don't mind moving quickly down the dungeon right?"

Confused about what the blacksmith was trying to say, Lili cut Welf off as she began to chastise him for how he casually referred to Bell.

"Welf! You should refer to Lord Bell as 'Lord Bell'! I can't believe you are even crass right now! Aren't you supposed to be a noble?"

"Hey! I barely counted as a noble. I was quite the troublemaker for my family during my time in Rakia as a matter of fact"

"Why are you proud of being known as a troublemaker?!"

Seeing the two begin to argue, Bell intervened as he tried to placate both the blacksmith and the pallum from making a scene so early into their exploration.

"Calm down, Lili. If Welf wants to speak to me casually, then let him do so. I would actually prefer it if you spoke to me with less formality"

Hearing his words, Lili began to quiet down as she couldn't bring herself to comply with his request.

"But I want to keep calling Lord Bell as 'Lord Bell'"

"Then do just that. I appreciate the concern, Lili, but if I don't like something I can take care of it myself"

"A-Alright, my apologies Lord Bell… sorry too, Welf…"

Seeing how easily the white-haired youth was able to placate Lili, Welf stood in amazement and respect for how he was capable of doing such things.

Moving on from their previous argument, Welf began to explain the meaning of his words through an explanation of the rapier's effects.

"This rapier essentially provides a speed boost to all adventurers within a certain radius. This way, we don't have to waste energy or time going down to the floor we want to head to!"

"Fascinating!"

Seeing how far Welf had developed his techniques, Bell was amazed at just how much of a difference a simple talk with the Crozzo had in his development. The『Crozzo Blood』had essentially become an all-in-one item maker ability.

Item makers such as Asfi and Airmid had to supplement their『Mystery』development abilities with other development abilities such as『Mixing』and『Metalworking』

For Welf however, so long as the end product was in the form of the sword, his『Crozzo Blood』allowed him to create what was essentially any magic item he desired.

'As expected of the reincarnation of the first Crozzo, of course, he would be overpowered'

Discussing the technical details of his magic swords for a bit longer, Welf began to channel his magic into the magic sword to activate its effects.

"Rise with the wind!"

『Zephyr』

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

In an instant, a field of wind began to surround Welf, Bell, and Lili. Granting a burst of agility that coursed through their bodies quickly.

All with a determined look, the party of three began quickly dashing through the first floor of the dungeon with a quick pace that left the surrounding beginner adventurers astonished.

As the trio began descending the floors, Bell and Welf began to talk more in-depth about the construction and making of the magic swords in the blacksmith's possession.

Seeing how easily they were getting along, Lili felt a tinge of jealousy begin to fill her heart as Bell and Welf went off into their own little world of swords.

"So this is the bond between men I heard all the past drunkards of my familia talk about…"

…

..

.

?????… ??????… ????… ?????… ??????… ????..

"Woah, you sure you're a level one, Bell?..."

"I have to agree with Welf, Lord Bell. It's still a bit jarring that you're lower level than us both…"

"Of course I am. Why would I need to lie about my level?

Continuing to run through the dungeon as if they were on a speedrun, Bell began quickly dispatching any and all monsters that were unfortunate enough to stray into their path.

With quick slashes and stabs from his twin short swords Kanshou and Bakuya, the white-haired youth became a menace to the upper-floor dungeon monsters.

Seeing how strong he was with just a level-one falna status, Welf and Lili began to wonder just how much stronger he could become once he reached the levels of the top adventurers of Orario.

"I know that he's the Gray Ghost and all, but don't you feel a sense of competition growing in ya' LIli?"

Smiling wildly at the amazing display Bell showed them both, Welf voiced out his desire to not lose against the elusive hero who none were able to capture nor best.

"Though I may be Lord Bell's spear, I will admit, I do want to not let him go too far away from where I currently am"

Resonating with the blacksmith's thoughts, Lili began loading her lance and preparing her mind to engage the monsters alongside Bell.

The purpose of this joint exploration of the dungeon wasn't just to reconnect and chat, but for all three of them to become used to how each member fights.

With Bell planning on calling upon their aid multiple times in the future, Welf and Lili were eager to prove the worth of their skills which they had been honing in the two years he was away.

"We should be nearing the eleventh floor by now… I'll boost you like usual, Lili! I wanna surprise Bell! Hehe!"

"Roger"

Not wanting to leave all the fighting to Bell, Welf and Lili began to prepare the methods they would usually rely on when conducting their own version of farming in the dungeon.

As Bell busied himself with dispatching a horde of orcs one by one with his swordsmanship, a sudden burst of noise echoed through the walls of the dungeon as a new monster began to arrive.

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

Appearing out of a sudden plume of dust produced by their wild movements, a pair of Silverbacks began to taunt the trio as the monsters prepared to engage in combat.

Seeing the ape-like monsters preparing to charge, Bell began to shift his body to intercept them both, but he was late to the draw as Welf and Lili took the opportunity first.

『FIREBOLT!』

? ? ? ?

A sudden burst of fiery light manifested as Lili began to accelerate quickly by using her magic to propel herself forward.

With deft movements that indicated her experience with the technique, the pallum began to use the common attack magic as an engagement ability.

The size, power, and potency of her firebolts far exceeded what most people were capable of casting, earning her much notoriety among the gods as she charged into battle bathed in fire.

"As flash as always, Lili! Here's some support!"

Sheathing the rapier 『Zephyr』Welf drew out two swords similar in style to one another. One's blade was red whilst the other was a glowing silver.

Tightly grasping the hilts of both, the blacksmith began to fill both of the magic swords with his mind before clashing their blades with one another. Producing an aura upon their collision.

『WILD RUSH!』『DEBILITATE!』

Auras of red and silver began to emanate through the air before affecting their designated targets with their mystical properties.

The red sword, 『Wild Rush』, began to empower all allies who were in the range of its aura with a boost to their strength.

The silver sword, 『Debilitate』, began to debuff all enemies who were in the range of its aura with a nauseating sound that affected a monster's magic stone core, weakening them greatly.

Together, the two magic swords' effects were a common opener Welf would use as Lili charged in to engage an enemy.

The combination of the buff and debuffs along with leaving no time for the enemy to respond was a deadly combo that allowed the two to farm immense amounts of excelia.

『FIREBOLT!』

Approaching extreme close-quarters against the first silverback, Lili swung her lance to pierce the chest of the ape-like beast before chanting her weapon to spew forth flames.

In an instant, the poor monster began to inflate from the inside before eventually exploding. The pallum's violent flames burned them from the inside out.

"HMPH!"

Utilizing her remaining momentum, Lili began to move with the motions as she directed her lance to the ground. Calling forth another burst of fire.

『FIREBOLT!』

Lili vaulted upwards into the air, leaving the remaining silverback confused as it didn't expect its enemy to be capable of reaching such a height.

Letting gravity do the remaining work, the pallum began swinging her lance once more with her immense strength. Her crimson-glowing eyes eyed a singular spot in its chest.

"HAAA!!!"

??????

With its magic stone being pierced out of its body, the silverback could do naught but quietly fade into a pile of gray ash.

Landing back into the ground with deftness and finesse, Lili began picking up the two magic stones of the two slain monsters, leaving Bell astonished.

"Hehe, what do you think of our teamwork? Supposedly a bunch of people started calling it the 『Rabbit Rush』for how fast it is"

Approaching the amazed Bell who finished up the group of orcs he was dealing with, Welf began to brag about their deadly combination attack.

Following up Welf's words was an embarrassed Lli who wasn't too fond of the name the dungeon city had given their tactic.

"I'm not too fond of the name, it implies that I'm the rabbit in this scenario. Lord Soma had to fight tooth and nail so that my alias didn't end up becoming『Rabbit Foot』"

"『Rabbit Foot』?  That's a nice alias~ I'll ask Lady Hephaestus to recommend it in the next denatus for your next level-up~"

"Ugh, will you please shut up, Welf? Can't you have some class? Act like Lord Bell, he has an air of grace you will never be able to replicate"

"Oh please, Bell is a guy, I just know that he just wants to mess around and be crass. Ain't that right, Bell?"

"What? Of course not! Lord Bell is a hero to countless people! He's a person of greatness that was born with natural class! Aren't I correct, Lord Bell?"

Being faced with the choice between Welf and Lili, Bell could only laugh hysterically at how everything unfolded so naturally.

"Lili, you broke, Bell"

"Huh? I didn't! I didn't… right?"

"Who knows, maybe he finally couldn't take all your praise. The man is still human after all"

"E-Eh? I-Is that true? W-What should I do, Welf?!"

Just as the pallum was about to nag the blacksmith in her worries, Bell calmed Lili's fears as his laughter began to subside.

Looking at the duo, the white-haired youth was confident that he would be able to reach many places with them both by his side.

From the labyrinthian maze of Knossos, to the cold dragon valley where the one-eyed back dragon rested, and even to the deepest floor of the dungeon. Bell was sure he could reach the end of the story with the two.

"You two are too amazing, I was going to suggest this later on, but I just cannot wait any longer!"

"Lili! Welf! Join my familia!"

…

..

.

"So, you're planning on overthrowing Loki and Freya as the top forces and placing the Hestia familia on top?"

"Yep"

Walking through the tall stone walls of the middle floors, Bell began to answer the questions Welf and Lili had regarding his proposal.

Racing through the dungeon's interior with the use of Welf's magic rapier, 『Zephyr』

"You're also planning on surmounting the legacy of the Zeus and Hera familia by completing the last of the three great quests? The eradication of the one-eyed black dragon?"

"Absolutely"

Hearing how he accepted such wild goals with such a natural look on his face, Welf and Lili began to question if the white-haired youth was even normal.

"Lili…"

"Don't even say anything, Welf. Normal standards don't apply to Lord Bell. You should've wired that into your brain after the two stories where he made a giant sword fall from the sky"

"Yeah…"

Accepting that they had involved themselves with a person who broke every norm and convention in their world, the two quickly decided upon their answers to his request.

"Of course, it seems like fun!"

"Wherever you go, I will follow right behind you, my lord"

There was little to deliberate from the beginning. Welf was eager to work alongside a swordsmith who was capable of changing his worldview, and Lili had already sworn an oath of loyalty to him long ago.

Smiling at their enthusiastic responses, Bell was happy that he was able to secure the first members of his dream-team familia. A force of adventurers that will bring the name of Hestia all across the continent.

"Great! Though I won't be asking you to transfer familias right now… maybe in a month or two? After I secure the resources I need for expansion"

Hearing his words, Welf and Lili sense an eerie aura of foreboding in Bell's words. As if the vigilante was waiting in hiding to devour a prey he knew would enter his range soon.

But their thoughts were quickly set aside as they neared the destination of their dungeon exploration. The wailing wall of grief, the spawning grounds of the middle floors' monster rex, the Goliath.

"The Goliath should be respawning in a few days, right?"

Asking Welf and Lili, the two confirmed Bell's question as they neared ever closer to the giant monster's den.

"Yep, though the next respawn has been declared to be the Loki familia's in their next expedition, Lord Bell"

"How nice. To just reserve a sought-after monster with some shouting and flyers. Must be pretty comfy being a top familia"

With the announcement of the Loki familia's deep floor expedition, countless arrangements within the dungeon were made so as to ensure their efficient descent into the lower floors.

One such arrangement was the reservation of the monster rexes to be respawned. To maximize profits and excelia gained, top familias would often time their expeditions with the respawn timers of the monster rexes.

This would often lead to disputes between top familias, but by and large, the Loki familia would always be able to get their way when it came to these reservations.

But with the emergence of activity with the Freya familia, spurred on by the Gray Ghost, there was now competition for the Loki familia for the reservation of respawned monster rexes.

Luckily however for Orario, the two familias came to a silent agreement that they would switch the respawn times between each other. Ensuring that war didn't break out within the city, much to the detriment of the other familias who couldn't challenge their dominant rule.

However, as interesting as it was, Bell didn't descend with Lili and Welf to simply examine the monster rex's spawning zone. The vigilante already had enough experience with the Goliath in his previous encounter with it.

His current target was Rivira, the settlement established in the safe zone known as the eighteenth floor.

'Back when I first started being a vigilante, I was too weak to hang around for long periods of time in the middle floors, but now that I'm stronger, I can easily start expanding my reach… though I'll have to keep it secret from Eina for now'

…

..

.

Descending down the tunnels leading to the eighteenth floor, Bell observed the splendor of the dungeon's safe zone as waterways and verdant forest sprawled out across his eyes.

In the distance, the settlement of Rivira could be seen. Not as advanced as Orario in terms of infrastructure, but the creation of a permanent settlement in a hostile environment such as the dungeon was already impressive enough.

At the center of the floor was a giant tree that covered a large portion of the floor's space under the shade of its branches.

The crystalline walls of the floor emitted light that emulated the divine radiant glow of the sun, giving a peaceful atmosphere to the entire area.

Hidden somewhere in the forest is the memorial grave of the Astraea familia, the perished upholders of justice who are slowly fading from the memories of the dungeon city.

Similarly hidden in the forest was a breeding ground of monsters by Evilus, planned to be used in order to expedite the growth of a jewel fetus to cause havoc in Rivira.

The eighteenth floor is the first major breaking point for the story of Danmachi. Countless fates and destinies will be weaved and forged upon the safe zone's storied ground.

It was where the Loki familia would first begin their investigation into the wicked machinations of Evilus, eventually culminating in the uncovering of a plot to tear down the dungeon city like the walls of Jericho.

It was where the birth of the last hero occurred, fueled by the dreams instilled into his mind by his divine grandfather, ringing the bell of centuries past to toll the coming of a new age. One birth through the flaming torch of the Hestia familia.

It was where the fulfillment of the thousand-year promise between Ouranos and the dungeon would finally begin to take shape. The coming of the promised time where the planet will attempt to tear down the divine from their lofty seats on high in the heavens.

It was the turning point, and will now become the grounds where Bell will forge the new destiny of this world. A storyline that was never supposed to be, but a storyline he would make into existence through his love of the world of Danmachi.

"Yo, Bell. Why are you smiling like that? Don't leave us out if it's interesting"

"Give us your orders, my Lord. We are more than willing to enable your vision"

His divine scabbard glowed with royal majesty, his silver arrow gleamed with moonlight radiance, his transparent shield reflected the ray of brilliance, his silver eye shimmered with divine grace, and his world of swords trembled with anticipation.

The road ahead of him was clear, and the optimal route to take was deeply engraved into his soul. It was time for the reincarnator to change the script of the story he so dearly loved across all his lives.

"Let's have some fun making a mess of things"

…

..

.

Editor:

The Darkest Knight#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

Pumped one more chapter out. I just wanted to reach 3k power stones this week.

This is just for the web novel readers, to my scribble hub readers…yall just stay chill like u usually are HAHAHA

See you next week guys!