Susano'o Familia Premise Chapter 3

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a new chapter! After an intense fight with a rogue Minotaur and gaining a new and powerful Skill, Bell continues on the path to his dream of becoming a Hero. Susano’o says that he’ll ask his friend and fellow Deity to help him with a sparring partner for Bell. Who will be said sparring partner? Bell also has a Drop Item that he wants to make a weapon out of, his first ever! Good thing he knows a good blacksmith, huh?

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Chapter 3 – Collecting and Training

The day after Bell’s fight against the Minotaur found him in Welf’s smithy in the early morning. Thankfully, Welf seemed to be an early riser just like Bell as he’d already been preparing his forge when Bell had arrived and knocked on the door.

“A Minotaur on the Fifth Floor?” Welf had to ask, even after Bell had told him why he’d brought in his armor for maintenance. “Never heard of that before.” He shook his head while looking over the armor that he’d made for Bell. The Far Eastern style of armor was a bit dirty and had a few minor dents in the metal here and there, but it certainly didn’t look like it had been hit by a Minotaur. “You didn’t take a direct hit, it looks like.” Welf prided himself on his skill as a blacksmith, but he was also very aware of the limits of the armor and weapons that he made. This particular set of armor wouldn’t be in such good condition if a Minotaur had struck it head-on at full force.

“My sword took the brunt of the one attack that directly clashed with the Minotaur.” Bell said as he rubbed the back of his head. “Lord Goibniu will probably be annoyed when I bring him my sword for maintenance.”

Welf chuckled as he started looking over the next part of Bell’s armor. “Try not to make Smithing Gods angry, Bell. We blacksmith’s get our tempers from them, after all.” He joked as he tapped one of the places where the scarlet red ties had snapped on the white armor. “Need to replace and retie that one.” Welf noted as he set the piece aside. “Did you need anything else other than armor maintenance, Bell?”

Bell reached into his thin black backpack and pulled out a wrapped item. Unwrapping the cloth from it, Bell smiled as he held up the War Shadow’s Finger Blade that he’d gotten before he’d fought the Minotaur. “Could you make me a knife from this?” He asked Welf while handing the Drop Item over to the blacksmith.

“Hmm.” Welf picked up the War Shadow’s Finger Blade and looked it over. It was in good condition, and the Drop Item could honestly just be set into a handle and make a decent knife. But Welf was a consummate craftsman and he knew he could do far better than that. “Sure thing, Bell. I’ll need until the end of the day though.”

“Sure.” Bell agreed with the timeframe easily enough. “How much for the maintenance and the commission for the knife?” He had gotten 40,000 Valis for the Minotaur’s Magic Stone, so he might as well spend it on maintaining and improving his gear.

Welf looked over the War Shadow’s Finger Blade again, then at Bell’s armor laid out on the table in front of him, before glancing at his current supplies and materials. “About 3,000 Valis for the maintenance since it’s not too damaged. I’d say about 8,000 Valis for the knife commission. That’s 11,000 Valis total.”

Bell shook Welf’s hand. “Deal.”

“You can come pick up everything tonight or tomorrow morning, whichever is easier for you, Bell.” Welf smiled brightly, thrilled to be getting another commission and a regular client in Bell. After having his pieces not sell for so long—enough time for his own Familia members to start calling him ‘Crozzo the Defective’—to now having a regular client that appreciated his work and repeatedly commissioned him, made Welf one very happy blacksmith.

“I’ll pick them up in the morning, Mr. Welf.” Bell confirmed with a smile of his own. He’d need another day in the Dungeon to restore Shūri Saiketsu enough for Goibniu to give it proper maintenance.

Welf nodded as he started to work on Bell’s armor first. “See you tomorrow morning, Bell.” He waved over his shoulder, already sinking his focus into his work.

Bell left Welf’s smithy and headed for his next stop of the day. “Takemikazuchi Familia is in the northeast part of Orario, according to Lord Susano’o.” His God had asked for a favor from the only other Shinto Deity within Orario, and had gotten Bell a sparring partner that would help him polish his combat skills. “I should have enough time.” Bell didn’t want to be late, so he picked up his pace just in case.

-Temporary Residence Townhouse-

When Bell arrived at the wooden gate that was the sole entrance to the Takemikazuchi Familia home, the entire area surrounded by a tall stone wall, he took a moment to straighten out his clothes before knocking loudly on the gate. While the Takemikazuchi Familia should be expecting him, Bell wanted to at least make a good first impression on Lord Takemikazuchi and his Familia.

The gate opened a moment later, revealing a man with a masculine refinement and black hair and black eyes, similar to Susano’o. His hair was looped on either side of his head and tied with purple cloth. His clothing was white and in a traditional style of the Far East, though clearly a bit worn, given the slightly tattered hems.

“Lord Takemikazuchi?” Bell asked, giving the Deity a bow of respect. “I’m Bell Cranel. Lord Susano’o sent me for training.”

Takemikazuchi smiled at Bell and gave him a nod. “Welcome, Mr. Cranel. I’ve heard good things about you from Susano’o-sama.” While the two Deities were friends, Susano’o held a higher position in the hierarchy of the Shinto Pantheon, so proper respect and formalities needed to be observed. “Please, come inside. I’ll introduce you to your training partner.” He motioned Bell inside and closed the wooden gate behind them before leading bell around the Far Eastern-style house and into the large backyard.

“Takemikazuchi-sama.” A young woman greeted her Deity with a small bow and a smile as soon as she saw Takemikazuchi and Bell. She had lovely purple eyes and long black hair that was tied into a ponytail. She wore a lilac purple yukata that stopped at mid-thigh and partially hid, but failed to fully conceal, her well-endowed breasts and she wore white sarashi wraps underneath, she had a dark red sash around her waist to hold the yukata closed properly and her outfit was finished off with maroon thigh-length boots. “I’m pleased to meet you, Cranel-dono. My name is Yamato Mikoto and I’ll be your training partner.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Mikoto.” Bell returned Mikoto’s bow with one of his own. “Thank you for taking the time to train with me and help me improve.”

“I’ll be watching over your training today, Mr. Cranel.” Takemikazuchi said as he smiled at how well-mannered Bell was. “I’ll offer what advice and instruction that I can as well.”

Bell smiled and bowed in thanks. “Thank you very much for your time and insight, Lord Takemikazuchi.” He hadn’t expected any help or advice from the other Deity, so this was a pleasant surprise. “I’ll do my best to make sure that your time, as well as Miss Mikoto’s, isn’t wasted.”

Mikoto smiled at Bell, finding his earnest and straightforward personality to be pleasant. “I will do my best to help you improve, Bell-dono.”

Takemikazuchi moved over to a rack that held wooden training weapons and picked up one in the shape of a greatsword. “Susano’o-sama told me that you use a zanbato, so I believe this wooden greatsword will be appropriate for your training.” He handed the training weapon to Bell while Mikoto took up a bokken and held it at the ready.

“Thank you, Lord Takemikazuchi.” Bell picked up the wooden greatsword and got a feel for the weapon. He gave it a few swings, adjusting to the difference in weight between Shūri Saiketsu and the wooden training sword, before taking it in both hands and standing across from Mikoto.

“Are you ready, Cranel-dono?” Mikoto asked as she took up her preferred starting stance.

Bell nodded once, his rubellite eyes sharpening as he focused on Mikoto and her wooden sword. “Ready!”

Clack

Mikoto’s bokken was blocked by Bell’s wooden greatsword. The fast strike had been aimed at Bell’s side, forcing him to angle his large blade down and to the side to block properly.

“Hmm!” Bell displayed his own strength as he forced Mikoto’s bokken back and brought his wooden blade into an upwards slash.

Clack

Mikoto not only blocked the slash, but angled it to the side, opening up Bell’s guard. “Hup!” The tip of her bokken was at Bell’s throat a fraction of a second later. “Do you yield?” Mikoto asked, her violet eyes intense as she looked into Bell’s rubellite gaze.

“Yeah…” Bell got out after a second to realize how quickly he’d been defeated. “You’re very skilled, Miss Mikoto.”

“Thank you, Cranel-dono.” Mikoto smiled as she pulled her bokken back from his neck. “You seem to be accustomed to fighting Monsters, more so than an armed person.” She gave her initial thoughts on Bell’s skill with his weapon.

Bell nodded in agreement. “I’ve learned a bit from Lord Susano’o, but this is the first time that I’ve sparred with a person. All of my actual experience comes from slaying Monsters in the Dungeon.”

Takemikazuchi spoke up from the side, his experienced eyes having followed both swift exchanges. “Unlike Monsters, people fight intelligently, Mr. Cranel. Reading their movements is the first step, but that’s reactive. To excel in combat against others, you need to be able to reliably predict and anticipate your opponent’s moves. Even gaps in speed or raw power can be overcome with proper technique.”

“I see.” Bell went over the brief exchange he’d had with Mikoto again. ‘She didn’t just block me, but angled her block to move my sword out of the way and open my guard. Instead of meeting the blow head on, she predicted the best way to divert my strike to her benefit.’ It was something that no Monster that Bell had ever fought had done before. The difference in intelligence and skill with a weapon made Mikoto so vastly ahead of Bell that she might as well be standing atop a tower while Bell craned his neck at the bottom just to get a glimpse of her. “I’d like to try again, Miss Mikoto.”

Mikoto nodded, her expression sharpening as she took up her stance again. “Whenever you’re ready, Cranel-dono.”

Bell took hold of the wooden greatsword and looked at Mikoto’s stance and the way she held her bokken at the ready. “Hyah!” He stepped forward strongly and thrust the wooden greatsword forward, rather than swinging it. Mikoto sidestepped and her bokken swung just below Bell’s weapon, aiming to hit his torso. Bell brought the wooden sword down, knocking the bokken low, with a shift of his feet and his hips, Bell brought his sword upward, aiming to take Mikoto’s arm.

“Hm.” Mikoto let out a slight breath as she easily made distance with a backstep. Thrusting her bokken forward like she’d done previously, Mikoto blinked once as her weapon stopped dead against the flat side of Bell’s wooden greatsword.

Clack

“Yah!” Bell shoved against the tip of Mikoto’s bokken, forcing her arm backwards. With a twist of his hands, the flat side of his wooden sword moved so that the edge was facing Mikoto as he brought the training weapon down on her.

Clack

Mikoto blocked the downward strike, adjusting her feet to let the heavier weapon glance off to the side. “Tah!” She swung her bokken towards Bell again.

Clack

Bell blocked the swing, having jerked his sword back and turned the flat side to face the incoming attack. The width of the wooden greatsword made for a pseudo-shield against the slash of Mikoto’s bokken.

‘He learns from his previous mistakes quickly, it seems.’ Takemikazuchi thought to himself as he watched Bell and Mikoto clash twice more before Mikoto’s bokken once more rested against one of Bell’s vital spots—just over his heart this time—and ended the second round of sparring.

-Afternoon-

“Hah…” Bell exhaled as he wiped his sweat with a towel. “I learned a lot today, Miss Mikoto.”

Mikoto smiled at Bell, her own towel resting around her neck. “You did well, Cranel-dono. You’re a quick learner and you continuously strive to get better with every exchange.” The hours that they’d spent sparring had been a good workout for her as well.

Bell smiled a bit at the praise, but he knew he still had a long, long way to go. Sparring with Mikoto showed Bell all of the many places that he was lacking in his swordsmanship. Even if they used different types of swords, the sheer gap in skill and technique made it clear to Bell that he was still just a beginner and that he should aim to close the gap between where he was now and where Mikoto stood. “You’re incredible, Miss Mikoto. I can only imagine how many years you’ve spent honing your swordsmanship.”

“Many years, Cranel-dono.” Mikoto said with a nod, pleased that Bell understood that her current skill came from years of hard work and dedication to improve. “But you’ll improve quickly if you continue to train with the same determination that I saw today.” She encouraged Bell with a smile.

“Thank you, Miss Mikoto.” Bell accepted the encouragement with a smile of his own. ‘Miss Mikoto has a really beautiful smile.’ He thought to himself before taking a long drink of cool water to cool down.

With their sparring done for today, Mikoto walked Bell back to the front gate and opened it for him.

“Are you sure that you want to meet tomorrow morning, Cranel-dono?” Mikoto asked as Bell was about to leave.

“As long as it’s alright with you, Miss Mikoto. I want to improve as much as possible, and I learned a lot from you today.” Bell said with a smile.

Mikoto blinked, but smiled at Bell’s enthusiasm. “Very well, Cranel-dono. I’ll spar with you every morning before my Familia heads for the Dungeon, if that’s what you’d like.”

Bell nodded in agreement. “Thank you for taking the time to spar with me, Miss Mikoto.” He thought for a moment before speaking again. “How many days will you be available? I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Maybe a week to start?” Mikoto considered the days ahead for her Familia. “We should probably take a day off for the Monsterphilia Festival that’s coming up.” Seeing Bell confused, Mikoto smiled. “It’s a yearly festival hosted by the Ganesha Familia. It’s in four days, so I’m sure that you may be able to find some time to enjoy it, Cranel-dono.”

“Oh, maybe I should take the day off then.” Bell considered as he thought about a city-wide festival in Orario. ‘I’m sure it’ll be amazing. I should definitely check it out.’ After deciding to take a day off, Bell nodded to Mikoto. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Miss Mikoto.” He gave her a bright and thankful smile.

Mikoto smiled back at Bell. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Cranel-dono.”

With their plans for training made, the two parted ways, both smiling and looking forward to tomorrow morning.

-Hostess of Fertility ~ Evening-

“Welcome, Mr. Cranel.” A waitress called Syr bowed politely as Bell entered the pub. She had dark gray hair that she kept tied with a small knot in a ponytail hairstyle. Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and she had a light, smooth skin. She wore the waitress outfit of the Hostess: a white blouse and a leaf-colored knee-length long skirt, with a slightly long half apron around her waist and a pair of brown boots over black stockings.

“Good evening, Miss Syr.” Bell smiled at the cute young woman.

“One now seating!” Syr called over to the bar before leading Bell to a free seat at the end of the bar near the stairs to the second floor. “Do you know what you’d like, or would you prefer to look over the menu, Mr. Cranel?”

“I’ll have some ale to drink; but I’ll need a minute to decide on my meal.” Bell accepted the menu from Syr with a nod.

Syr smiled and headed towards the kitchen to get his ale. “I’ll get your drink then.”

Bell looked through the menu and wondered what he should get tonight. “All of the food at the Hostess is good…makes it hard to choose.”

“The big party with the reservation is here!” One of the Cat Girl waitresses—Anya—announced loudly as she led in a large group of people. Bell looked towards the door and almost gaped as he caught sight of a trio of familiar young women. Then his eyes registered everyone that made up the group.

‘Miss Ais, Miss Tione, and Miss Tiona… So, that’s Loki Familia?’ Bell’s eyes were wide as he watched the Familia enter. He’d only gotten a brief glimpse when Tiona, Tione, and Ais had separated from him yesterday. The group seemed to be mostly the well-known Executives, but a few other members were there as well. The Loki Familia were all quickly seated between three large tables and drinks were brought to them in short order. Bell’s eyes followed the Familia, more specifically his eyes focused on Ais, Tiona, and Tione in a cycle. The three lovely young women were sitting together on one side of a table, so Bell could glance at them easily.

“Loki Familia caught your eye, eh?” Syr’s teasing voice asked from behind Bell. “Goddess Loki took an interest in the place, so they’re regulars here.”

“Miss Syr!” Bell flinched slightly in surprise. “Must you sneak up on me?” He asked with a deadpan expression.

“Occasionally…” Syr giggled at his reaction. She was known to be a kind and playful girl among the regulars of the Hostess of Fertility. She had returned with a flagon of ale and set it in front of Bell with a small smile. “Your ale, Mr. Cranel.”

“Thank you, Miss Syr.” Bell nodded to Syr with a grin before taking a quick drink. She was nice enough, so Bell wouldn’t hold her little prank against her.

“Nice work in the Dungeon! Tonight we live it up! Drink!” A slender woman with long, light-red hair tied into a simple ponytail raised a flagon into the air along with a few members of the Loki Familia. She wore dark-blue boots, black thigh-high stockings, black short shorts, a dark-blue tube top that matched her boots, and black sleeves.

The Divine Aura radiating off of her let everyone know that she was a Goddess. It wasn’t hard for Bell to figure out that this was Goddess Loki. She was the head of one of the Top Two Familias in all of Orario. There was quite some debate about which Familia was the true number one between Freya Familia and Loki Familia. But most in the Dungeon City didn’t want a war to break out between the two Familias to find out for sure.

‘I can see them just by eating at the Hostess like I do, huh?’ Bell mused since Syr had said they were regulars. He watched the Loki Familia enjoy themselves for a moment, his eyes glancing at Tione, Tiona, and Ais again.

“Did you have your order, Mr. Cranel?” Syr asked with a little giggle as she followed his gaze to the three women.

“Oh, right.” Bell looked back at Syr with a slightly sheepish smile. “I’d like the ribeye steak, with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes; please.”

Syr wrote down the order as Bell spoke it. “How would like your steak cooked?”

“Medium, please.” Bell could do Medium Rare or Medium Well too, but Medium was his preference for steak.

Syr nodded to Bell after she finished writing. “It will be out shortly, Mr. Cranel.” She smiled at him before heading back towards the kitchen.

Bell enjoyed his ale and would occasionally glance over at Tiona, Tione, and Ais as the Loki Familia party continued to eat and drink while celebrating their return from their latest expedition. During his observation, smiling slightly as he saw Tione and Tiona laughing at something one of the other Loki Familia members had said, he was snapped out of his thoughts by a teasing voice.

“So… Which girl caught your eye, Bell?” Syr questioned with a grin, leaning over Bell’s shoulder. “Was it Lady Riveria, the High Elf? She’s very beautiful. Or maybe Miss Sharon is your preference? She’s got a rather impressive bosom~”

Bell looked over his shoulder at Syr and made sure that the waitress could see him roll his eyes at her teasing remark. “It’s not like that, Miss Syr.”

“I’m sure it’s not, Bell~” Syr giggled a little, but her smile was genuine. “You’re a good man, I can tell.”

Bell sighed, but gave Syr a small smile. “I’m not some playboy, at the very least.” He shook his head at her friendly teasing.

Syr gave him a smile as she leaned a little closer. “You’re looking for women to love, not just to play around with, right?”

“M-Miss Syr!” Bell’s rubellite eyes widened as he sputtered in surprise.

Syr burst into giggles at Bell’s reaction. “Seems I hit the nail on the head~”

“Must you tease me, Miss Syr?” Bell wasn’t pouting, but it was close.

“Aww, don’t pout, Bell.” Syr gave him a soft smile. “You do know that harems and polycules aren’t too uncommon in Orario, right?” Seeing Bell looking at her blankly, clearly NOT having known any such thing, Syr continued. “Sometimes they’re just Adventurers that all love each other. Other times they’re focused around a Deity. But no one would bat an eye if you had such a relationship as a strong Adventurer.” She winked at him playfully. “Think of it as an extra incentive to work hard and follow your dreams. I bet you want a big family, right?”

Bell just looked at her, nearly gaping at her words as his face got red.

“Like I said, it’s not uncommon, and depending on the women, you might have quite a few that’re willing to share.” Syr smiled at the flustered Bell with a teasing giggle.

“Syr, stop teasing your customer and get back to work!” Mia called out from the other end of the bar. “His order is ready!”

“Coming!” Syr laughed brightly as she returned to her work, leaving Bell sitting in his seat with his red face slowly cooling off.

A minute later and Syr came by with his dinner. “The steak meal with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes, Mr. Cranel.” She set the large plate down and checked his flagon by eye. “I’ll have your drink refilled too.” She made a quick motion with her hand to Mama Mia and saw the Dwarf woman nod to her in confirmation.

“Thank you, Miss Syr.” Bell, having recovered from her previous teasing, gave her a small smile before Syr headed off to continue her work. As Bell cut into his steak, Mia refilled his ale and Bell got to enjoy his dinner.

It was a short time after finishing his meal that Bell noticed that the Loki Familia was getting a bit louder. Looking over, it was easy to see why. Drinks had been brought over a few times already, so a handful of the members were getting a bit buzzed.

What Bell didn’t expect was for his gaze to meet the eyes of Tiona across the pub.

“Eh?” Tiona perked up, having already had a couple drinks, but she was nowhere close to drunk. Seeing Bell (and his distinctive white hair and rubellite eyes) made her break out into a big smile that was like sunshine. She surprised Tione and Ais as she quickly stood up and trotted across the pub to hug another patron. “BELL!”

“M-Miss Tiona?!” Bell hadn’t been expecting Tiona to come over to him, and he especially didn’t see the hug coming. Not that he minded or anything like that. ‘Toned, but soft…and she smells nice too.’ He thought as Tiona pressed her body against him while hugging him tight.

“Bell!” Tiona giggled happily. “I didn’t know that I’d see you here!”

“Good evening, Miss Tiona.” Bell couldn’t help but smile at Tiona, the Amazon was too warm and happy for Bell not to smile while in her presence. “I come here fairly often; my God introduced me to this place.”

“Really?” Tiona tilted her head with a smile. “That’s how our Familia started coming to this place too! Loki found it and started brining all of us along!” She grinned and wrapped her arms around Bell’s left arm. “Hey, hey, Bell…” Tiona smiled at him, her face mere centimeters from Bell’s. “You wanna come sit with us?”

Bell looked at Tiona with surprise. “Is that okay? Your Familia is celebrating, right?”

Tiona laughed and waved it off. “It’s fine! Celebrations are more fun with more people!”

“Well, if it won’t cause a problem…whoa!” Bell barely got his reply out before Tiona was happily dragging him back over to the Loki Familia’s tables.

“Is white-hair gonna be alright, nya?” Anya questioned Syr, seeing Bell being dragged away by the Amazon.

Syr grinned at Anya playfully. “I’m sure he’ll be just fine.”

Over at the Loki Familia table, Bell found himself sat down between Tione and Tiona. He wouldn’t lie about being a little starstruck, but also nervous, as the eyes of various members of one of the top Familias in Orario looked at him.

“Hmm? Who is this?” Finn questioned with a polite smile after finishing his drink.

“This is Bell, Captain!” Tiona grinned brightly; her arms still wrapped around Bell’s left arm as she pressed herself against him.

“The one ya said nearly killed a Minotaur at Level 1?” Gareth looked the young man over. “He doesn’t look like he’d have the strength for that…no offense meant, lad.” He was simply speaking professionally, after all.

“None taken, sir.” Bell shook his head. ‘I’m talking to Elgarm, Gareth Landrock!’ He marveled at having a conversation with one of the few Level 6 Adventurers in Orario.

“His magic helped.” Tione was leaning into Bell’s opposite side with a little smirk on her lips. “It was impressive.”

“Mm.” Ais nodded once in agreement, looking at Bell with a little smile of her own. Bell’s magic wasn’t solely Wind Magic like hers, but it was an aspect of it and Ais rather liked that someone else she knew had similar magic.

“Aiming to become a Magic Swordsman, then?” Riveria asked, looking between Ais, Tione, and Bell with a little interest.

“Well…I’m not sure, I’m only Level 1 and all.” Bell said to the High Elf, trying not to look at her for too long and come off as rude. ‘The rumors are true though; her beauty really does rival a Goddess.’

“No need to be so formal, this is a celebration.” Riveria actually smiled gently at the young man, seeing him trying to be respectful and not stare at her, while also being clearly distracted by Tiona and Tione’s interest in him.

“Seriously injuring a Minotaur at Level 1 is an impressive feat.” Finn complimented Bell with a nod, an encouraging smile on his face. “As Captain, I do apologize for the incident though.” He bowed his head for a moment. “We were lax in our handling of the Minotaur horde and that put others, like yourself, in danger. We should’ve immediately eliminated them with our full force.”

“It’s alright!” Bell waved his free hand in front of him (Tiona refused to let go of his left arm). “Miss Tiona, Miss Tione, and Miss Ais saved me after my last attack failed to take down the Minotaur. I’m very grateful for that.”

Tiona giggled brightly, lightly squeezing his arm against her body. “Just Tiona is fine, Bell!”

“Mhmm, Tione is fine, Bell.” Tione allowed him to drop the formality with her as well. “No need to be all formal.” She leaned against him with a grin, her large breasts pressing against his arm and shoulder.

“Ais.” Ais nodded to Bell once. “Everyone calls me that.”

“Th-Thank you…” Bell felt his face get a bit heated at the three women wanting him to be informal with them and get closer.

Tiona laughed brightly, raising her flagon into the air. “Let’s drink!”

“Yeah!” The entire Loki Familia raised their drinks with a cheer. A few, like Riveria and Ais, were notably quieter than some of the others.

“Do you not drink, M…Ais?” Bell asked, stopping himself from calling her ‘Miss Ais’ since she’d asked him to just use her name. She appeared to only be drinking water while the others passed around alcohol.

Tione looked over at Ais with a teasing smile. “Things get complicated when Ais drinks, right?”

Bell looked between Tione and Ais curiously. “What do you mean?”

“You could say that she’s not much of a drinker,” Tiona grinned at Ais. “Or that she’s a bad drunk… Or that she almost killed Loki…”

Ais’s face was red as she was teased by her friends. “Tiona, please…stop…” She gently tugged on Tiona’s arm as she didn’t want Bell to have the wrong idea about her.

“Ahahaha! Ais is blushing~” Tiona cooed and hugged Ais close to her after letting go of Bell’s arm. Ais’s entire face went red, but she returned the hug with one arm anyway.

“Who’s this guy?” Bete Loga, a Werewolf and Executive of Loki Familia, questioned as he left the other table and moved over to the one that Bell had been brought to. “Looks like a weakling to me.” He narrowed his eyes at Bell, but the redness in his face showed that the man was probably already a bit drunk.

“Go away, you mangy mutt!” Tione shooed Bete away with her left hand, her right arm wrapped around Bell’s arm.

Bete waved off her trying to shoo him away. “Tsk, who asked you, Amazon?”

“Hey, back off of Bell, Bete!” Tiona was now wrapping her arms around Bell’s arm again. “He’s the one that injured that last Minotaur on the Fifth Floor!”

“Bullshit!” Bete didn’t believe that for a second. “This guy wounded a Minotaur? You expect me to believe that?”

“He’s drunk, isn’t he?” Finn remarked, looking over at Bete.

Gareth nodded after a second to look over the Werewolf man. “Aye.”

“Make sure to stop him before he does anything too bad, please.” Riveria sighed a little, knowing that Bete tended to get a bit more abrasive than usual when he drank too much.

“What about you, Ais?” Bete turned his gaze onto the golden-eyed girl. “What did you think of this punk’s so-called fight?”

“He actually did very well,” Ais replied calmly. Bell felt like his heart had just skipped a beat. “Not many Level 1 Adventurers could have bridged the Level gap like Bell did yesterday.”

Bete scoffed before speaking again. “Fine, different question then.” He looked at Ais with a smirk. “Who’re you taking home, him…” He waved in Bell’s direction. “Or me?”

Bam

Gareth’s fist came down on top of Bete’s head from behind, laying the drunk Werewolf out. “Sorry about that. The lad gets a bit mouthy when he drinks too much.” The Dwarf apologized to Bell before dragging Bete away by one leg.

“N-No problem…” Bell was just going to let the drunken words roll off of his back. He was a little preoccupied trying not to look at Ais, since the two had caught each other’s eyes when Bete had asked who Ais would take home. Now both of them were a bit flustered. ‘Ais looks cute when she’s blushing.’ He thought to himself.

“Aww, look at them blush!” Tiona giggled pulling Ais into a hug with a bubbly giggle.

Tione now had her arm over Bell’s shoulder, a grin spreading across her face when his arm seemed to instinctively wrap around her waist. “Don’t worry, we all know who we’d choose, right, Ais?”

“Tione…” Ais didn’t think her face could get any warmer than it was right now.

“I know who I’d choose~” Tiona grinned and leaned into Bell’s side with a giggle. Her grin only got wider as Bell’s free hand gently wrapped around her waist a moment later.

Bell wasn’t completely dense, and when both Tione and Tiona were pressing themselves against him like this, he’d been convinced that neither of them would mind him wrapping an arm around their waists.

-Later-

The Loki Familia’s party slowly wound down and the group began to leave the Hostess of Fertility after paying their large bill. Bell bid Tiona, Tione, and Ais, farewell, but the blonde swordswoman surprised her friends when she spoke up.

“Bell…” Ais stopped for a second, but then continued. “You said that you were still new to being an Adventurer…” The four had been chatting for most of the evening since Tiona had brought Bell over.

“Yeah, I’ve only been at it for just over two weeks.” Bell nodded and then rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks to Lord Susano’o, I have a more experienced Adventurer helping me with my swordsmanship now. But other than that, I’m entirely self-taught.”

“Would… Would you like me to teach you how to use Wind Magic with your sword?” Ais offered after a moment to gather her thoughts…and a little courage. Something about Bell made a fluttering feeling fill her stomach.

Bell nearly gaped at the sudden offer. “Huh…?”

“Ais?” Tione raised an eyebrow at the unexpected offer that had been made. As far as she knew, Ais had never made such an offer to anyone before.

Tiona perked up, a light flush on her cheeks from her many drinks. “You want to teach Bell?”

“If…If you want to.” Ais had the sudden urge to fidget with her hands as she tried not to look down at the floor. ‘Why does my stomach feel all…fluttery?’

“I-If it wouldn’t be a burden to you, Ais, I’d greatly appreciate your teaching.” Bell bowed at the waist, a full and proper bow of gratitude for her offer. While Susano’o had given him a good basis for using his Storm Magic already, Bell felt like improving the individual aspects of his magic could only make him better with it.

“O-Okay, I’ll do my best.” Ais smiled slightly at Bell agreeing to her offer. ‘Maybe I’ll be able to find out how he closed the Level gap… And figure out this feeling inside…’ She blushed a little, her cheeks slightly pink.

“Ooh, can we help too, Ais?” Tiona beamed at Ais and Bell, her radiant joy like sunshine. “I’m sure we could teach Bell a thing or two!”

“Now, now, sister…” Tione placed her hand on top of Tiona’s head, a teasing grin on her lips. “Ais offered to train Bell. You wouldn’t want to get in the way of Ais’s alone time with him, would you?”

Bell and Ais both looked at Tione wide-eyed, the Amazon only smirking at both of them mischievously.

“You can help.” Ais’s couldn’t meet Bell’s eyes as she looked away, her heart beating rapidly in her chest at Tione’s words. ‘It’s not like…that.’ She thought to herself, never having sought out the company of anyone for intimacy before. These strange feelings were new to her.

“Yay!” Tiona nearly glomped both Bell and Ais at the same time, pulling both into a hug as she laughed happily.

‘It’ll be good for her.’ Tione smiled at seeing Ais finally coming out of her shell a bit. ‘And good for us too.’ She eyed Bell—who had an adorable flustered look on his face as Tiona hugged him and Ais both, pressing the two together a bit—and Tione felt her Amazon blood pulse in her veins. Bell was something special…and Tione wanted only the best for herself and Tiona. Bicker as they might, they were sisters above all else, and neither of them wanted to be apart.

“I train in the early morning right now.” Bell explained when his swordsmanship training took place as the group of four tried to work out when they could meet to help Bell train.

It was decided that Bell’s training with Ais, Tiona, and Tione may have to be after his first week with Mikoto was done after a bit of discussion. But Ais didn’t seem to mind as she quietly admitted that she’d never trained anyone before and didn’t really know what to do.

-Susano’o Shack ~ Night-

“Ready to see how your first day of swordsmanship training has paid off, Bell?” Susano’o asked with a chuckle as Bell sat before him with his bare back exposed.

“Yes, Lord Susano’o.” Bell said as he glanced over his shoulder at his God.

Susano’o let a drop of his blood fall onto Bell’s back, the black lines of his Falna rising up as the familiar blue-white glow shone from the hieroglyphs. “Let’s see…” He watched the Excelia that Bell had earned from his full day of training with the Level 2 Mikoto. “Oh… You felt that one, huh?” Susano’o laughed brightly at seeing bell take a hit from Mikoto’s bokken that had knocked the young man on his ass.

Bell sighed, already knowing exactly what Susano’o must be seeing at the moment. “I wasn’t fast enough to block that one…”

“Not even close.” Susano’o agreed with a chuckle. “But you got right back up and kept going.” There was clear pride for Bell’s tenacity in his tone. “Only by surpassing your limits over and over again will you grow and reach your goal, Bell.” He moved the gathered Excelia into Bell’s Basic Abilities and watched the numbers rise. Once the numbers stopped, Susano’o placed a blank paper onto Bell’s back and swiped his finger once to copy the update over. “We’ll make a heaven-shaking warrior out of you in time, Bell.” He handed the paper to Bell with a wide grin as he locked up the Falna, letting it sink back into Bell’s skin again.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – E 408 > E 430

Endurance – E 402 > E 425

Dexterity – E 406 > E 431

Agility – F 389 > E 400

Magic – E 400

-Magic-

Ran’un – Storm Magic – Incantation: “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds.” Magic that allows the user to conjure thick black clouds. The size of the clouds is proportional to how much Mind is used to form them. They can be small, or as large as the user’s Mind reserves can make them. Within these storm clouds, any storm-related Magic can be conjured and imbued. Lightning Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, and Ice Magic are all possibilities.

-Skills-

Vigor – Healing over time. Healing speed greatly increases while resting or sleeping. Passive. Stamina Boost and Stamina Recovery at the cost of Mind, effect increases based on the Endurance and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

Take Susumu (To advance bravely) – Removal of limits of growth. Stronger desire results in faster growth. Greater effort results in larger growth. Effects that would inhibit the user’s advancement, like Charms or Curses, are dispelled.

-Status-

“Eighty-one points from training most of the day.” Bell was surprised that he’d grown that much when he wasn’t in a life-and-death battle against Monsters. “I know Miss Mikoto is Level 2, but I was expecting less.”

“Don’t sell your hard work short, Bell. You sparred for hours today against a superior opponent. Your growth reflects that, especially thanks to your new Skill.” Susano’o said as he patted Bell’s shoulder to encourage his ‘child’ on his continued path as a warrior.

Bell smiled, feeling the pride and encouragement from Susano’o. “Yes, Lord Susano’o. I’ll keep giving my absolute best!” Turning to face his God directly, Bell had a bright smile on his face. “I was also offered training in my Wind Magic from Ais Wallenstein while I was at the Hostess of Fertility.”

It was the first time that Bell had ever seen Susano’o speechless and he made sure to save the moment into his memory forever.

-Welf’s Smithy ~ Morning-

“Morning Bell…you okay?” Welf’s greeting morphed into concern as he saw Bell’s current state.

Bell gave Welf a small smile. “Morning, Mr. Welf. I’m fine. Just got done with some early morning training.” He waved off his disheveled and scuffed up appearance.

Welf wanted to say that Bell looked like he’d taken a beating, but he held his tongue on the matter. “Right. Well, I got your armor maintenance finished and your new knife is ready.”

“Can I see it?!” Bell’s soreness was a secondary thought as he watched Welf pick up a sheathed knife.

“Here it is, Bell.” Welf handed the sheathed knife to Bell with a smile. “I put my all into it.”

Bell took the sheathed weapon and pulled the knife out. “Whoa…” He marveled at the black blade, admiring how it held the dark color of the War Shadow’s Finger Blade that it had been made from. “This is…strong.” He didn’t know HOW he knew that, but it was what Bell truly felt. He made a few half-speed swipes through the air with the knife and smiled at the weight and how easily it fit into his hand.

Welf couldn’t help but smile at the praise. “The material may not have been rare, but it was still good material.” He commented on the War Shadow’s Finger Blade that Bell had brought him. “It should cut through just about any Monster on the Upper Floors.”

“It’s great!” Bell smiled at Welf as he sheathed his new knife. It would be great as both a utility tool for harvesting Monsters for their Magic Stones, and as a backup weapon if he was separated from Shūri Saiketsu somehow. After placing his new knife on the table next to his newly maintained armor, Bell reached into his slim black backpack to fetch Welf’s payment. “11,000 Valis, Mr. Welf.” He placed the coins on the table for Welf to count.

“Thanks, Bell.” Welf began to count the money quickly while Bell started to put his armor on. After counting the coins, Welf put them into a money bag which he then locked inside an innocuous metal tool box. Seeing that Bell was still putting his armor on, Welf’s eyes went to the large, cracked sword that was leaning against the wall. “Hey, Bell, you mind if I look at your sword?”

Bell looked at Welf and then at Shūri Saiketsu. “Sure, I don’t mind.” He watched as Welf approached the damaged zanbato while he continued to put his armor on.

Welf eyed the large sword with experience and knowledge, taking in its length, width, estimating its exact weight, and guessing at the materials used in its construction. “Hmm, this thing’s a masterpiece, for sure. It’s got to be a High Grade weapon, at least.” Welf had nothing but praise for the zanbato. He gently touched the damaged section, seeing the missing parts of the cutting edge and the few cracks within the body of the blade. “This is damage that would require the retirement of most weapons, you know? I’m not sure even a Deity of the Forge can repair this.”

“I know.” Bell finished putting on his armor and secured his new knife to his hip with a smile. “But Shūri Saiketsu is special and even if its shattered into pieces, it’ll repair, in time, and with some effort.” He told Welf without explaining his sword’s innate ability entirely.

“Really? I wonder what kind of attribute would let a weapon do that?” Welf hummed thoughtfully, once more wishing that some of his Familia would work with him in the Dungeon so that he could level up and reach Level 2. Without acquiring the Blacksmith Developmental Ability, Welf had plateaued as a blacksmith…he knew it, could feel it within his very being. The artisan within him wouldn’t stand for that though and so he often headed into the Dungeon alone, pushing as hard as he could to try and grow stronger and earn a level up.

Bell smiled at Welf as he picked up Shūri Saiketsu with one hand, demonstrating the strength that Bell had earned through over a decade of rigorous, daily farm work. “I’ll see you for maintenance again, Mr. Welf. Or if I get another good material to make a weapon out of, whichever comes first.” He rested the damaged zanbato on his shoulder as he made his way out the door.

“Sure thing, Bell. I’ll always give my all to my work.” Welf chuckled as he waved to Bell from the doorway for a moment before heading back inside his smithy. “Maybe I should’ve asked him?” It might’ve come off as weird, or a bit too forward though. “But Bell seems like an understanding guy. Once he comes back in for more maintenance or another commission…then I’ll ask him about a contract and letting me join his Party.” He nodded to himself, knowing that he needed some help if he was to achieve his dream of becoming a High Smith.

-Bell-

The morning sunlight was getting brighter as the sun continued to rise. Bell walked towards Babel Tower, and the Dungeon beneath it, with a smile on his face.

“Armor repaired, a new knife made from a Drop Item…” The first of many that Bell planned to collect over time. “…and by the end of the day I’ll have my sword restored so that I can get it maintenance too.” Bell said to himself quietly as he continued walking, seeing the streets filling up more now as people woke up and began their days. “And that Monsterphilia festival is coming soon. I can’t wait to see what a festival in Orario is like.”

He had no idea just what would happen on that day, no one did. But it would be an event that would set many things in motion.

-End Chapter-

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A day off is still time to further one’s path as a warrior!

Bell begins training with Mikoto to improve his swordsmanship!

A single day of training showed surprising improvement, what will early morning training plus a day of dungeon crawling amount to?

Welf makes a very nice knife for Bell from the War Shadow’s Finger Blade. Then considers offering Bell, his very first client that’s already given him TWO commissions, a contract. Welf also wants to join Bell’s Party…even though Bell doesn’t actually HAVE a Party yet.

Monsterphilia is approaching! Will Susano’o attend Ganesha’s Banquet of the Gods? Can this festival pass peacefully like the one’s before it?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!