Day Three of the Dungeonless Week
I'd woken up on time as usual, but to my surprise Hestia was awake as well. I had a good feeling about today because of her presence, but her being awake made it great! She still looked a bit sleepy but I could fix that.
I grabbed her and jumped out of bed causing her to let out a yell.
"HESTIA, THE TIME IS NOW!" I heard a shout of panic from the hatch as well. The scream echoing through the church floor. It would seem that Belle is awake now as well! We must seize the day through the ancient power of waking up before anyone else!
Though now that I think about it I think she slept in until nine in the morning yesterday. After all, she'd taken quite some time to actually come down the stairs while I'd played board games with Mr. Dagda.
Well it seemed she was awake now, so that could only mean one thing. We had a Dungeon to train for! Though I seriously wanted to look into getting my Best Friend Sword back. My Best Friend needed to reincarnate through the hands of a blacksmith, as was their fate!
My Best Friend Sword always had the same soul, as soon as I picked one up after my old one broke its 'soul' entered the blade. That was just how it worked! My Master said my swordsmanship felt 'alive'. The way it reacted and adapted to everything thrown at it made her call it that, so that meant my sword was alive too!
However I couldn't bear with abandoning my blade, so I simply had them reincarnate into each new vessel I acquired for them! My sword spoke to me, but I hoped one day it would actually be audible instead of just metaphorical.
Despite the claims of many others around me I wasn't crazy! Probably. The chances of being insane are low, but never zero!
I pulled Hestia up the ladder and hopped onto the church's wooden floor. After setting her down she let out a sigh and practically hugged the ground. The sun isn't supposed to be on the ground! I picked her backup and set her on her feet.
"Andrew it's probably five in the morning . . ." Hestia grumbled out and Belle gave a weary nod.
"Well yeah, it's five-fifteen. Anyways, are you ready for an awesome day Belle?" Whenever I awoke it was either five-fifteen or something was wrong. It was my own internal alarm system!
Belle threw me a light glare before she paused. Then she let out a light laugh.
For some reason I couldn't help but feel that her cute laugh came from the bottom of her adorable heart!
"Sure, thanks for starting the day Andrew." I feel like something has changed, but I'm not really sure what. Instead I planted a hand on Belle's shoulder.
"Anything for my treasured companion!" Hestia clung onto me from behind.
"I'd do anything for you too Hestia!" She was like a cat and rubbed her head against my side. I meant my words too, for my companions I'd do anything. Even bring them back from the depths of hatred and despair so that they could be their true selves!
Thus was the Shounen way.
Belle stared at me for a moment then spoke with words that surprised me quite a bit.
"Even if I asked you to kill someone?"
I spoke without hesitation.
"The moment I found out why, I'd make my choice."
Hestia looked at me with shock as I crossed my arms at Belle. I wasn't sure why she'd suddenly drop this sort of question on me, but it needed an honest answer.
"I see."
I gave her a smile.
"Belle, I don't like killing but if it's what needs to be done . . . then I'll do it." My tone was grave. I knew I had to take ending a life very seriously. It was a big deal to cut someone's life short by your own decision.
"Enough of this talk about murder! My Children can't be having important conversations like this at five in the morning! I'm getting breakfast!" I thought Hestia would be more opposed to her being as kind as she was, but I suppose being in a world with death monsters changes people's perspectives.
Wait, was I the weird one for thinking Belle asked me a weird question!? Ah, that's a little embarrassing. However that doesn't mean you should go around murdering people without a second thought!
Honestly I'd been opposed to killing a lot in the past but my Great Sage of an older cousin hit me with a series of questions that had stumped me!
'What would you do in the face of someone who was ideologically opposed to positive change? What would you do if they allowed themselves to drown in malice and slapped away any hand that tried to pull them out? What if each time you reached in to try and save them someone else got hurt instead?'
Those questions made me realize that some people cast away their Humanity in pursuit of hating others.
However I still believed that anyone could become good, as long as they were willing to change. Sadly not everyone was willing to walk that path. Which was my greatest sadness. After all, if everyone simply held love and compassion in their hearts instead of hate, wouldn't the world be a better place?
I wanted to be able to pull people out of that pool even if they slapped me away again and again!
That was the world I fought for, and I was sure as a Fool Belle would join me too!
If only I could save the Dungeon as well. I wasn't sure if it was fully sentient but I truly did believe that anyone could become good. However with the sheer hatred in the air I wasn't sure if I would be able to reach its heart in order to save it. Yet, I had to try!
That didn't mean I would stop fighting though. Just because I wanted to save someone, didn't mean I wasn't going to beat them up and make sure they wouldn't hurt anyone else first!
'Wanting someone to be Good is different from enabling them to be Evil.'
Wise words from the Great Sage.
She also tried to talk about some concept called 'Morally Grey' but I didn't really listen. After all I would just be super strong and use the power of friendship to save all of my friends!
Tough moral decisions? I'd rather just live happily with my friends and make the world a better place!
I'm snapped out of my thoughts as Hestia returns with a basket in hand. Belle on the other hand simply stared at me while I zoned out.
I let out an awkward cough as I realized I was trapped inside my own head for a moment there!
The Shounen simply got to me!
"Let's eat!"
Inside of the basket were little pork buns that were still lightly steaming with warmth. I smiled and handed one to Belle who showed her rabbit nature once again in the way she unleashed on onslaught of tiny nibbles and caused the pork bun to practically evaporate away from reality.
Rest in peace my Pork Bun friend. At least your death was swift. I started eating mine and after gulping down some of the meal I turned to my Family and asked a question.
"Anyone have anything they'd like to get done today?" We still had about 4 days until our first Dungeon Dive as the Hestia Familia, so I really wanted to get all the chores out of the way first! Hestia spoke up at that with a faint sigh.
"Well I looked into getting us a new place to stay, however a place that could hold our Familia would be about 800,000 Valis while we only have 44,500 Valis. It would be a lot cheaper to set up a temporary room for Belle while we got ourselves sorted." Belle seemed to cringe at the idea of us being poor and I patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry Belle! If you prefer we can keep renting you an inn for a while, you are way more important than a few Valis!" She let out a strangled groan that seemed to turn into a faint blush.
"You aren't going to let me pay you back, are you?" I raised an eyebrow in mock confusion.
"Pay me back? Belle . . . your mere presence is enough to pay me back!" I pulled her into a hug. She let out a small eep at my words, but she didn't resist. Truly Belle was an adorable rabbit!
"H-hey! My children can't have a hug without their Goddess being involved!" The Hestia Ballistic Missile surrounded us and her warmth enraptured the two of us.
Then Hestia paused, and let out a motherly smile at the two of us with a faint sigh.
"I'm not sure what it is, but you look happier Belle." She flinched lightly but then nodded.
"I just realized something important I suppose." I let out a smirk at that. She must have had the realization that she was actually my sister in Shounen. In other words she truly was part of the Family!
I knew she'd come around sooner or later, she was acting a little weird before but that's probably because she didn't realize I was a fellow Shounen protagonist!
"So you've finally realized it then Belle?" She paused and then nodded.
"I suppose I have Andrew." She gave a light laugh that somehow sounded like it was dripping with money. Yet at the same time it was so genuine.
I stood up and pointed a finger to the Heavens! A mere church roof couldn't stop me from pointing to the sky after all! Though the Dungeon couldn't either to be fair.
"Hestia! I declare to the Heaven's themselves that we accept Belle as our sacred companion, forged through the will of the twin Fool's and your radiant Sun warming our hearts as one! We are the Hestia Familia, we are Family, we are Friends, and most of all . . . we are going to have an amazing adventure together!"
Gotta throw in a Shounen speech. I could keep going but instead I stuffed my mouth with a pork bun. They were delicious after all!
Rank 6: The Ordeal - Awakens a special Magic within the Fool Arcana.
Lightly chewing the food in my mouth for a moment I gulped it down in a satisfied sigh. Then I raised an eyebrow at the Rank up. Magic for my fellow Fool? Amazing!
I have fire, she has . . . well I have no idea! We shall figure it out at some point, of that I'm sure!
"I'm going to head on over to the Tower of Babel, hopefully that Welf guy is somewhere and I can pay him to make me a new sword!" Belle stood up at that and Hestia let out a small sigh.
"I'd come with you, but I need to borrow Belle for today. I'm going to be stopping by the Guild to properly register her as part of our Familia."
I threw them a thumbs up before bolting out the door with a pork bun in my mouth. My next words came out muffled but I tried to speak nonetheless as I grabbed a pouch of 20,000 Valis.
"Alright, you two have fun! I have a blacksmith to fatefully encounter!"
It was barely six in the morning as I ran down the street, the wind in my hair and the pouch in hand allowing me to experience the early morning of Orario once again. As I ran over to Babel I saw a woman in what I could only assume was a maid outfit lock eyes with me for a moment.
She started to reach out to something as her jaw dropped slowly. She looked enraptured for a moment and I decided that some random drunk or high maid was not going to be on my to do list for today!
Then I paused and let out a sigh. Oh who am I kidding. Of course I was going to help out someone in need! She seemed to have stumbled into the street in my direction, but something made my heart accelerate in my chest and caused my eyes to widen.
A carriage was moving down the road at about twenty miles per hour! (Thirty Two Kilometers per hour for the non-cheeseburgers) That was decently fast, and more importantly it was enough to get someone seriously hurt!
I knew what it felt like to get hit by a moving vehicle, and I was scared of even risking that for a moment . . . so I moved. I practically flew towards her, my body spiraling in the air and flipping with her as I managed to hold the back of her head so she didn't ragdoll in my princess carry.
I was afraid of getting hit by the carriage, that was for certain. But since when have I ever let fear stop me? Bravery was not the absence of fear, but pushing forward despite that!
If it was a monster I could fight it, but if I attacked the vehicle I risked harming the person inside! I didn't want to do that!
I threw a light glare at the coachmen who had stopped before he would have hit her, and he threw a glare right back.
"Kids these days, just walking in the road and having no respect when I stop for them." I faintly blushed at the realization that the only danger this woman was in was from falling on her face.
"Ah, sorry." He let out a harrumph and the carriage began to move again as the twin horses made their way forwards.
I held the woman whose breath was faint and eyes were wide as she ran a hand along my chest. For a moment I considered the idea that she was groping me, but I came to a far more reasonable conclusion.
I-Is she in shock!?
"Are you alright Miss?" She blinked at that and gulped.
"Y-yes." I let out a sigh of relief, then I softly set her on the sidewalk and pointed a berating finger at her.
Spoiler: Road Safety Hater
"Stay safe! The road can be dangerous when it's still pretty dark out, always remember to look both ways before crossing the street and watch out for the little drop. Ok nice meeting you but I've gotta go so see you later!" The final sentence rambled out of me at rapid speeds, I wasn't going to miss my Blacksmith due to this random act of kindness for some random grey haired girl who didn't understand that traffic accidents were a big deal!
"WAIT!" I froze and turned 180 degrees mid stride and then raised an eyebrow.
"W-what's your name?" I planted my feet and pointed a finger at the sky. Screw being late, I had to give a dramatic line to this girl first!
"I'm Andrew Ariti, someone who's going to change this city for the better!" I didn't give her the chance to respond as I finished my rotation and bolted off towards Babel!
Normally I wouldn't be so desperate to run away from a potential new friend, but I had to get back to Hestia and Belle.
I'd missed them already!
AN: Syr nearly walks into oncoming traffic while getting drawn to Andrew like a Moth to a Flame. For anyone wondering why she's not a Confidant yet it's because Andrew hasn't formed a 'bond' with her in his own mind yet. Bonds have to be mutual after all!
An example of this is that he's Rank 10 with Hestia and Belle, while they are only Rank 9 and 6 with him at the moment. With Hestia it's really only because she hasn't come to her 'realization' yet.
Belle also becomes slightly more stable in this chapter, and temporarily delays her revenge to spend some time with her new Familia in which she has budding feelings for a certain Shounen Protagonist!
I've always thought that it was dumb how Bell had fallen for Ais so strongly that it resulted in Liaris Freese. I feel as though True Love doesn't exist at first sight, instead it must be cultivated through a deep bond! Basically what I'm saying is that Liaris Freese is going to be even stronger!
Belle OP, plz nerf.
Also I can't believe Truck-Kun reincarnated just so it could attempt to Double Tap Andrew!
looks upwards that's a long AN!
Moving into the tower I let out a sigh. I had a blacksmith to find, but I was certain it would be a lot of waiting. I briefly looked at the hole in the ground before letting out a soft sigh. The Dungeon was practically calling my name!
Yet, my promise to Rose was way more important than my desire to go in the Danger Hole. I moved up the stairs with a light hustle behind my steps. My running shoes slammed against the stone as I ascended.
Just as I made my way to the top I accidentally shoulder checked someone that rounded a corner and I paled. Dang it!
"I'm sorry!"
The man let out an annoyed breath as he slowly picked himself up. He dusted himself off and shrugged while throwing me a light glare before letting out a laugh.
"Say you look like an adventurer, I know how you can make it up to me!"
I blinked at the red head in confusion.
Did I just trigger a side quest? I was in a hurry though!
"Uh, sorry. I'm in a hurry to commission a weapon I can't-"
"Well lucky for you I'm a blacksmith, I'd be willing to discuss further with you."
I let out a sigh. I really wanted Welf, but perhaps this was a fateful encounter? I only had one way to find out!
"Alright then!" Perhaps the weapon would be bad, but I was certain I could tell pretty easily by just swinging it a few times. I was willing to throw my Valis into the fire pit if it made someone's day, but I wouldn't buy a bad weapon!
It was against who I was!
Then the man cracked a smile and pressed a thumb into his chest.
Spoiler: One Traumatized Boi
"Call me Welf, let's get to work."
I blinked, then my eyes lit up with passion
"As in Welf Crozzo?"
He instantly frowned and let out 'tch'.
"Forget it."
W-what!? How could this be?
"Everyone else's weapons suck or are way too expensive! Please make me a new Best Friend Sword!"
He let out a sigh.
"Look dude, I don't make magic swords." He took a breath then clenched his fist and started to chew me out on the stairs causing me to droop in sadness. I wasn't going to him for a magic sword . . . but honestly he looked like he needed to get this off his chest so I let him speak instead of cutting him off.
"I don't give a shit that you were looking for me, and I certainly don't care that 'you're special' or whatever crap you're going to spin. A magic sword will never be your 'Best Friend' it will fail you and it will leave you to die. The moment it starts shining you'll just throw it away." He let out a heavy breath and said one final thing to me that made me even sadder.
"When something loses its use . . . you'll just end up getting rid of it."
Tears flowed from my eyes. Such a passionate monologue! Such heart! Such spirit! He doesn't forge magic swords because they break the emotional bond between soldier and steel! I understand!
Though it did make me sad to ever throw a weapon away! That's why mine had to reincarnate!
I gave him a casual smile and put my hands on my hips.
"I don't want a magic sword. I bought a dagger and chest piece from you, I really enjoyed the quality for the price so I wanted to commission a non-magic sword from you since my old one broke."
We awkwardly stared at each other for a flat ten seconds before he spoke up.
"Oh." He blinked and another moment passed before he laughed.
"Well why didn't you just say so?"
I gave a shrug.
"Your speech was so passionate, I couldn't stop you!"
He smiled lightly then held out his hand for a shake.
"Welf Crozzo- but seriously, just call me Welf." I returned the handshake causing him to grin.
"Andrew Ariti, newbie hero and veteran sword lover!"
His look turned a bit more serious, but there was still some amusement in his eyes.
"So how much are you working with?" He slowly peeled his hand away but froze at my words.
"I'm willing to pay 20,000 Valis."
His jaw dropped and then he gulped.
"I think this is going to be the start of a very profitable relationship for the both of us."
Ah, so this was a fateful encounter!
"Well it's nice to meet you Welf, when can we get that sword started?"
He gave me a thoughtful gesture, then smiled with a shrug.
"How about right now? I can take you to my workshop and I can start cooking up your 'Best Friend Sword'."
I nodded with glee, all thoughts of Hestia and Belle fading away for the moment as the Sword Autism kicked in.
"YES!" He nearly jumped back at my sudden yell.
"Alright then . . . let's get this show on the road." He let out an awkward cough and waved me along as I trailed close behind him. As we went around the tower I realized we were heading the opposite direction of the church and instead seemed to be heading east.
We started walking down a cobble road that had us go past several other workshops but a lot of the workers seemed to just throw Welf some nasty glares instead of any greetings to their fellow blacksmith.
He let out an awkward laugh then frowned.
"They're just jealous of my new customer."
Ah, had I already made a name for myself? I gave him a casual smile as we moved past the developed district and near a dirt road.
"Well I'm glad I'm your customer Welf, you make good stuff." He nodded his head then turned it back down the cobble path while checking for any onlookers. I turned my head as well and spotted no one as he turned back to me.
"My workshop is just down the road here, it's a bit of a hike though."
I gave a shrug.
"I like hiking." As we moved down the dirt road he asked me a question that made me smile.
"So why'd you choose my equipment anyways?"
That was easy!
"I tested everything in that novice shop, your gear was the only stuff that was weighted and made properly." He let out a laugh and started a bit of rant.
"Those novices always mess up the weighting and balance when crafting any combat equipment that isn't a hammer. I've actually trained a bit with my sword so I know more than those fresh blacksmiths when it comes to that sort of thing!"
I nodded but then frowned.
"Do those novice's even have proper teachers?"
He just shrugged, then scowled.
"Getting a teacher you can apprentice under is hard, most of them have had to learn from books on loan from a Familia."
I wonder who taught Welf how to forge then?
Maybe he was just secretly a hidden genius?
My master said the same thing about me too! According to her 'internet tutorials should not have resulted in your chimeric swordsmanship'. I only really understood the first part though, not really certain what the chimera part was about.
Most of her lectures went over my head and we just sparred a lot to hone my swordsmanship. However I'm sure those memories are still in my head somewhere.
He presented a shack to me and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry it's a mess." He opened the door and I was presented with a medieval forge! I'd actually only seen these at the Ren(aissance) Fair before, seeing a true forge like this was just a different level!
"Nothing to say? Well-"
"It's amazing!"
He blushed faintly before steeling himself with a serious expression.
"Well all right then, you said you wanted a 'Best Friend Sword'?" I nodded before I paused, it felt like I was about to insult my friend!
"I call it a Best Friend Sword but most people know it as a Bastard Sword." He blinked, then laughed maniacally nearly to the point of crying. I stood there awkwardly for a moment until he let out a sigh.
"You really are a strange guy."
I gave him a smile.
I was an Isekai Shounen Protagonist, of course I was!
"I certainly am, but I'm glad to be one!" He let out a hum and turned towards his forge. However as he turned I saw the small genuine smile starting to grow on his face. He waved me off for a moment as he looked over his materials.
"Feel free to test out some of the weapons on the wall while I figure out what would be best suited for you."
Ah, he's really going all the way! Though he doesn't need to watch me, I already know what I want!
"Heavier near the base, a flatter pommel, rough grip that is about an eighth of a finger length thick, balanced blade with both sides sharp so I can shift my style . . . the works."
He looked at me with widened eyes before leaning back slightly.
"Huh. You know your stuff."
I gave him a thumbs up.
"The only thing I know about blacksmithing is how to make an order!"
He let out a light chuckle at that, before pausing. He stared at me for a moment before asking me an odd question.
". . . what level are you?"
"Just level one at the moment. I've only been an adventurer for about a week."
He looked a bit saddened before starting to berate me.
"Look, you know your swords but you should just quit being an adventurer while you still have your life. People like you end up getting stabbed in the back without anyone to fall back on."
I let out a light huff of air before giving him a smirk. I could see the slight anger in his eyes, but behind it was a desire for me not to get killed.
He was just a Tsundere like Rose!
"Well then, what level are you?"
He rolled his eyes lightly.
"Level one, but I've been a level one for a lot longer than a week . . . what are you implying?" I pulled a longsword off the wall and weighed it in my hand. Wasn't perfect but it would do.
"A duel, me against you."
He gave me an incredulous look before snorting.
"Fine then, but we're using wooden swords. I don't want to kill you by mistake."
I blushed faintly and put the sword back on the wall. This guy was smart! I should get training weapons for me and Belle!
He tossed me a wooden long sword before picking up one himself and walking outside.
"Alright, let's get this over with."
I followed him and then paused as I gazed at the sun in the distance.
"How about we make a wager?"
He raised an eyebrow at me before gesturing for me to continue.
"If you win, I'll follow your advice and I'll even still buy that commision off of you."
He actually looked a bit intrigued to my surprise, the grip on his sword tightened. He really was a good guy at heart despite the prickly exterior!
"And if you win?"
"You'll become my companion, my blacksmith, and my friend." I gave him a radiant smile as I pointed right at him before adding a little bit extra. "Though I'll still pay you for your work, I'll probably just need a lot of armor in the future so you can expect me as a repeat customer."
He let out a small sigh and gave me a weary smile as he hefted the blade over his shoulder.
"You seem like a nice guy, sorry for what I'm about to do." Then he moved. He stomped forward and pushed off the ground. The sword on his shoulder extended out with his arm and plummeted right towards my shoulder.
I barely sidestepped the attack. He was fast! He blinked in surprise at my dodge before throwing a sideward swing towards me. So I did what you should never do in a sword fight.
I jumped. There was simply no other way to evade the attack. However as I rotated in the air I whipped my sword against his incoming strike and then pushed off of it in order to land on the ground with a smile.
"What the hell?"
I let out a laugh at his words. Then I charged back at him. I could feel the wind on my face as I dashed in his direction with a smile.
I missed this! I missed facing off against another swordsman, and I could already tell which of the four 'Paths' he followed.
My teacher had taught me of the four path's most fighters followed. The Mighty Dragon, the Defensive Tortoise, the Agile Bird, and the Cunning Tiger. Everyone followed a 'Path'. Core pieces of who they were intermingled in their fighting style. However my teacher said I followed none of them, and that I was a Chimera.
Still not sure what that meant, but I did know one thing.
He followed the 'Path' of the Dragon. He was straight forward, honest, and struggled to hide the intentions behind his attacks. Instead he followed through with his actions, and set them up to allow his movements to be paired with brutal force.
Of course every Dragon was different, but he was one that always seemed prepared for sneak attacks. The way his eyes twitched around the different points of my body showed me that he had been betrayed before.
So I refused to fight him like a Tiger. Instead I'd fight him on his level, even if it wasn't the best option!
"I like your swordsmanship." I gave him a happy smile as I spoke.
"Thanks . . . now are you going to just stand there or are we going to keep going?"
I slowly leveled my sword in his direction then nodded.
"Let's not waste time. The next strike will decide this."
He smirked and I could feel a connection between us forming as fire danced in our eyes under the setting sunlight.
Then we both charged at each other. I kept myself low to the ground and struck at an upward angle while he brought himself down upon my blade. I flew upwards and moved past him as a sickening crunch of wood echoed throughout the area.
I turned down towards my completely shattered blade and let out a sigh before standing up. Welf wasn't moving and just stared off into the distance as I got a good look at his back.
I approached next to him and spotted him staring at the setting sun while his broken blade also laid upon the ground.
He seemed to be in complete shock so I decided to speak.
"So do we both win, or do we both lose?"
He blinked and slowly turned his eyes down to me in confusion.
"What?"
"Do I follow your next words of advice, and get my new sword, while you become my companion? Or do we instead part ways like this never happened?"
This man's swordsmanship stung of him being hurt by others before.
I could never force myself to be his treasured companion. That would only push him away.
He had to make this choice himself.
"Andrew . . . right?" I nodded.
"Yep. Newbie hero . . . and veteran sword lover."
He let out a light snort before nodding his head. People feared companionship in some cases, but in the end everyone wanted someone or something.
This guy . . . he wanted someone he could trust. That's what his swordsmanship showed me. Every attack was a question. One you could so easily lie too. Yet, I chose not to do so.
Our blades had already communicated his answer.
"Welf, right?"
He gave a smirk and his eyes sharpened with a fire behind them I'd only seen in his forge.
"Welf Crozzo, but call me Welf."
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the Wings of Hope that break the chains of thy Fate.
With the Birth of the Tower Arcana, You have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power. . .
Rank 1: Steady Smithing - Equipment has increased Durability.
The Tower huh? That made a lot of sense. The Tower represented someone who had an exterior that pushed others away, because they had been pushed away constantly before. They hated having to be alone and I could understand that completely.
However the only way to break free from the exterior was to shatter it. In other words you had to bring the Tower down and reveal the person trapped inside.
Damn, Welf had it rough. But I'd save my treasured friend! Ah, does this make Welf the 'Bro'?
"I'd be glad too . . . but can I also call you friend?"
He let out a conflicted laugh.
"We literally just met!"
I gave him a shrug and a light elbow jab.
"Hey now, we clashed blades so that connected us!" He snorted.
"Speaking of, how the hell did you get that strong in a week?" He was one of my treasured companions so I kind of spoke without thinking.
"I have a skill that increases the Excilia I get."
His eyes widened in extreme shock and then turned to me seriously and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Why would you trust me with that information? What if I used that against you?"
I gave an awkward chuckle. I know Rose told me not to tell random people, but Welf was my companion!
"I already told you, we communicated through our battle. You aren't the type of guy who would stab someone in the back."
He slowly peeled his hand away and turned back to the setting sun.
Rank 2: Back to the Blacksmith -Equipment requires less Maintenance after being worked on by The Tower Arcana.
"Huh. You could tell all that from a sword fight?"
I nodded as the Sun blipped over the horizon.
"As for the advice I'll give you . . . Just come to me from now on. Don't waste your time with other blacksmiths."
I stared into the distance for a moment as I nodded, then paused.
"Yep . . . OH SHIT I GOTTA GET BACK!"
He looked at me in surprise before I paled and handed him the bag of Valis.
"Sorry! I have to run, my Familia is probably worried sick! We can meet up tomorrow at Babel!" I sprinted home as fast as I could.
I totally forgot about them in pursuit of my new Best Friend Sword!
AN: The bromance begins and the sword autism is a massive distraction. We meet Welf who's a bit different from the original because of the Butterfly Effect. With the Dungeon being more dangerous, more people relied on magic swords in the past and more people desired them in the present.
Magic Swords however always will betray you if you don't have another weapon. But stupid adventurers just want the shiny new sword grenade and are evil idiots who only see Valis!
So Welf has been handed a pretty shit hand by a lot of people, honestly the only reason he hasn't been black bagged by another Familia is because Hephaestus is the GOAT. However Welf is terrified of being betrayed, and is one of the slowest people to trust. However the power of Shounen is not to be looked down upon!
We also learn a bit more about Andrew's sword teacher in this chapter . . . and also the power of communicating through the clashing of steel!
Hestia POV
Belle was an odd one. She seemed stressed out and constantly on edge despite the mask she tried to wear. However I always had good eyes, and she couldn't completely hide the truth from me despite how heavily she attempted to obscure it.
Nonetheless despite her clinginess to my first child, despite her odd behavior, and despite her mask she was still my child. I would be there for her, no matter what.
"Are you ready to officially join the Hestia Familia?" I asked her the question with a smile and she returned it.
After last night, she seemed to be doing better, yet I could still see so much in her eyes. Stress, guilt, sorrow, anger, hatred . . . she needed a hug from her Goddess! So as she spoke I gave her a big one!
"I thought I already-" She paused for a moment before hugging me back. Then I turned up to her and spoke with a cheeky grin.
"In the eyes of the Guild you might as well be a rogue adventurer, so we have to fix that! Though even if the Guild didn't accept you, we still would!" She smiled faintly and then turned back towards Babel.
Was she thinking about Andrew!? I knew she was trying to steal him! I grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the Guild with a shaky smile and twitching eyebrow.
As much as I wanted to see Andrew as well, we had important stuff to do!
We entered the Guild Hall and I approached the front desk with Belle, unfortunately did have to wait in line which caused me to pout and tap my foot in impatience.
I'd only ever come in here once before, and I'd left as soon as I could.
I registered my Familia with the guild, and then disappeared for a while until Andrew came along and flipped my life upside down in a couple of days.
Those skills of his were just too much!
After a moment we arrived in front of a brown haired half elf and I gave her a once over.
"Hi there, I'd like to speak with 'Ms. Rose' if that's possible?" The only thing I knew about her was that she was reliable . . . and that she was trying to steal Andrew away! This would be a good opportunity to meet her and see what type of person she was.
. . . only the best for my first child.
"She's currently busy, is it possible I could help you instead?" I let out a sad sigh and Belle smiled, choosing to take the opportunity to speak up.
Belle even seemed to be softly blushing while looking at the half-elven woman!
"My Goddess and I simply want to register myself for the Guild." The woman gave a cordial smile our way and spoke professionally.
"Of course, here's the form you'll be needing." Belle was handed a form which she quickly filled out with beautiful handwriting that was clearly honed after many years of work.
Both of my children were literate! Truly I was lucky!
The woman blinked then turned up towards us after reviewing the information.
"Apologies Goddess Hestia, I didn't realize Andrew was a member of your Familia. I'll fetch his Advisor right away."
Was my Andrew so popular? She walked away quickly while I waited with Belle.
"Goddess, who is this Rose?" Belle seemed slightly angry at the mention of her, but she buried the feelings behind a light smile after a moment.
"She's Andrew's Advisor, she's the one who caused Andrew to end up finding you." She softly pushed one of her bangs back with a blush.
"A-ah, so she's not that bad then." Oh my, does Belle have a deeper crush on my Andrew than I first anticipated?
That bothered me- but why did it bother me? I cut off the thought with a frown.
Andrew was my child, and he was only a young man of seventeen years-
My thoughts began to spiral in another direction so I shook them away as a red haired woman with wolf ears approached the two of us.
"Goddess Hestia, Isabelle Cranel?" She was looking at a clipboard that seemed to have some information on us clipped to the otherside.
"That's us, and I'd like to know more about your intentions with Andrew." She raised an eyebrow before letting out a scoff.
"My intentions are to be his Advisor on matters relating to the Dungeon."
She was telling the truth, good! I couldn't have her stealing his heart! He was far too pure to be claimed by an older woman that didn't have the best idea of how to take care of him!
If Loki ever found out about Andrew she would have to bully her even harder for being flat than usual!
Either way I did still appreciate her for helping my child, so I had to show her my gratitude.
So I bowed.
"Thank you for taking care of him. He told me that he only survived because of you, so I deeply appreciate what you've done."
Her eyes widened for a moment before she gave a steely nod.
"Just doing my job."
Ah? A half lie? Hmm, perhaps I should keep a more careful eye on this 'Rose' in the future!
However right now I just had Andrew to get back too!
Andrew Ariti POV
I sprinted back to the church to find Belle sitting on the steps with a sleepy Hestia. The cute rabbit perked up at my presence and then gave me a slightly annoyed smile.
"Where were you?"
"Ah, sorry Belle! Sorry Hestia! I was working out all the details with my new blacksmith and got sidetracked!"
Hestia practically charged me and slammed into me with a hug.
"I missed you too Hestia!" I held her up in the sky and she seemed to turn into deadweight as she fell asleep.
The Sun has gone out!? How could this be!?
"You had us waiting for quite some time, however I'm glad you're back."
I gave her a smile and pulled the sleeping Hestia close to my chest.
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep with me?"
She let out a choking noise and I looked over in concern.
"Are you alright?"
Her face was beet red, oh no, did waiting out in the sun all day give her heatstroke.
"I'll get some water-" I started to bolt inside but she caught me with a wave of her hand. Her voice seemed to uptick into Young Master mode as she spoke, the haughtiness clearly present in her next words.
"You truly are a Foolish one for asking this Lady such a thing!"
I thought she said she only did that when she was stressed?
Oh. She really must not want to sleep with me and Hestia then.
"I'm sorry for asking Belle, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable like that"
She blushed deeper and started giving me the laugh of an Ojou-sama from and anime before it petered off and she cleared her throat.
"I-I suppose I can forgive you then."
"Alright then, I'm going to take Hestia to bed . . . the next big purchase we make shall be a house for our Familia! This I swear!"
I ran off to bed and my mind quickly switched off from the long day after tucking in my radiant Sun.
Isabelle Cranel POV
This man!
Why did he make me feel like this when he asked me such a degrading question? Asking to bed me not once, but twice? Grandmother had told me to always refuse such advances, to never lower myself to the whims of a perverted man, yet why did my heart beat so fast, and why did my face flush so?
I slapped myself across the face in order to steady my thoughts.
I was getting back into that weird way of thinking whenever I got stressed out in social situations.
I threw myself under the covers on the futon and put my hands in my face.
Why did I almost say yes?
WHY DID I ALMOST SAY YES!?
Sure he's compassionate, heroic, masterful with his hands- I let out another groan at the thought.
Why was I blushing like a maiden in Dungeon Oratorio when I was supposed to be the hero that cleansed this city?
I-I hadn't forgotten about the mission . . . however I couldn't help but feel as though I was far too different from those heroes in my storybook, while Andrew may as well have been the hero himself.
I blushed deeper as my mind went back to him.
I had a job to do, I couldn't let my feelings get in the way. So I silenced them as I always had, yet even I could feel the cracks forming with each word and action he inscribed upon the world.
Andrew Ariti POV
As I drifted off to sleep I suddenly found myself in the hall of a building. Its walls were marble, and well sculpted from years of labor.
Across from me stood a man whose face was blurred. He was shorter than me, yet as I looked down at my own body I found that we looked similar.
Then I lost control of my body and words, a scene playing out before me.
"How could you %#^{*#!?"
I screamed at my brother with all my heart, rage mounting in my voice. He was given a question with no good answer, yet he still somehow chose the worst one possible.
"%{*#+%, how could I resist the finest fruit this world had to offer?"
My 'brother' was a monster. Someone who should have died long ago. I Foolishly held the hope in my heart that he would become better with age.
Yet he only became worse despite my efforts.
"To compare ^}*}%]% to a fruit waiting to be plucked? You truly are void of any empathy."
I held his derisive gaze for a moment before the words I'd known I would one day have to say left my mouth.
"I-I can no longer call you brother."
I had done everything to save him, yet I could not change who he was.
In response to my declaration he simply laughed, yet I saw the pain lurking behind his eyes.
"You don't have the right to even declare such a thing. As long as I am favored by ^{+%*{++{^ your hands are tied brother."
He was right about me being helpless in the face of her, yet his feeble attempt to force me to take back my words of our ended brothership would fail.
Still, I couldn't fight a goddess. A goddess who enabled his worst impulses with a simple promise of her boon.
That however did not mean I was completely powerless.
"No matter how heavy the weight you use to drag our kingdom into the deepest trenches may be, I will never stand by and watch in wait as we fall to our deaths."
With that I walked away, his eyes followed me and despite my hatred for him, I still loved him.
He could never be my brother again, yet I knew a piece of both of us wished we could go back to our youths when we held each other arm in arm with smiles upon our faces.
Tears streamed down my face as I turned away. My tears could not be seen by him, they had never swayed him before so why would they now?
I wiped away the liquid from my eyes as I entered the plaza to the sights of many onlookers who waited for good news.
I could give them none, yet I could still act.
I couldn't find a goddess, but I certainly could warn our people of the coming storm.
I opened my eyes groggily and slowly sat up.
What the hell was that!?
I threw myself out of bed as a sorrowful tear moved down my face.
Brother, why- I didn't have any brothers.
Despite that I could not help but feel for the two of them residing within that dream.
One was a bastard, one was a hero. Yet so many would be forced to face the folly of the one who had committed a truly heinous sin.
I felt connected to the figure who's mask I wore at that moment, a weighty breath that carried with it so much responsibility for those I cared about.
Wait . . . was that my Persona?
AN: We are back with another one, and we get a little bit more insight into Hestia and Belle while Andrew gets a dream sequence with his Persona who I won't be spoiling (unless someone guesses it first try or something crazy like that).
If you manage to somehow guess who his Persona is I'll even give you a cookie!
Day Four of the Dungeonless Week
I slowly moved out of bed, I was a little confused over what just happened. I let out a sigh and turned down to Hestia who wore the same outfit she always did. I smiled softly at her sleeping form.
I think today is a good day to get some new clothes!
Mysterious Dream Sequence? I'm sure it will make sense later! I normally didn't dream though, so I was just going to assume this was connected to my Persona or something like that. Either way it didn't seem to make me explode or anything, so it was probably fine!
Though that did make me consider who my Persona even was? Whoever I had the Persona of didn't seem to be a shounen protagonist like me, or at least not in the same way. After all I'd at least try to fight this mysterious 'Goddess' first. Though maybe he already tried that? Perhaps I'll find out in the future!
Yet for now I have an ultimate mission.
Today is the day. Today is the day I finally take a shower!
I don't care what it takes, I don't care what must be done. I shall become clean! I'm icky and gross, it sucks!
When I'm fighting and working up a sweat they are simply the 'waters of battle' but when I'm just walking around they become a hindrance in so many ways.
I'm a Shounen Protagonist, not a NEET that avoids showers!
Hestia seems to never really get dirty or sweat, truly she is a lucky Goddess!
"Hestia, I'm going on a quest to find a shower."
She seemed to stir awake for a moment before nodding and passing right back out with a few words coming out of her yawning mouth.
"Alright, have fun."
I nodded down to the Goddess and 'silently' climbed up the ladder and cracked open the hatch. Belle was staring at me while slowly setting her knife down.
"Ah, sorry if I scared you Belle."
The bags under her eyes and frown on her face made me slowly walk out of the chruch, but her words cut me off.
"Where are you going?"
"To find somewhere to bathe-"
It was like she teleported next to me in an instant, a great desire in her eyes of which I hadn't seen until now. Ah, she was someone with money right? So she probably wasn't used to not being able to bathe.
That sucked!
Fear not my companion, we shall find a place to become clean!
"Are you ready then?"
She let out a grunt and I'd never seen a more determined Belle in my life! I gave the girl a bright smile and patted her on the shoulder. I already knew what I had to do.
Foolish Belle. Don't you know that I'm way faster than you?
I picked her up and bolted off into the city.
"Wha-"
I sprinted and started running through the city, I needed to find a Hotel or something. Little Inn's probably didn't have baths or anything of the sort so we needed to find a big place that clearly catered to rich people!
Was it wrong to live with Money in Medieval times?
My pouch of 15,000 Valis would hopefully be enough, though once we got our own place I'd hire a mage to make a shower. If they could even do that . . . Perhaps Welf could? A magic shower nozzle that made water and a magic drain that deleted it?
He truly was a reliable guy . . . probably! He was honest at the very least, and I couldn't fault him for that.
The bunny attached to my back clung on for dear life as I slowly stopped outside of a large building that seemed to have remained open throughout the night.
Cool! Belle unfortunately seemed to be quite dizzy so I opted to keep carrying her.
"Sorry Belle, cleanliness waits for no mortal!"
She seemed to be trying to say something as I walked inside, but she kept cutting herself off and was talking like she had a bank account with 12 Billion Dollars in it so I couldn't really understand her.
"Y-you insolent- L-lech- Y-you- I-"
"It's alright Belle, words are hard!"
I let out a small sigh and patted her on the shoulder as a woman who was probably double my age approached us.
"What can I do for you on this wonderful morning sir? Anything I can help you with personally?" Her voice was sultry, sort of like my older cousin when she was trying to talk to all the girls her age that I somehow ended up getting involved with in my previous world.
This poor woman . . . she was just as socially awkward as my older cousin! She truly had it rough. I gave her a sad look for a moment before I grinned and plopped a hand on Belle's shoulder.
"Yep! Me and my companion here are looking for a private bath, is it possible we could only book it for an hour?"
The fair skinned woman let out a light laugh and her sizable breasts bounced with the movement. Her hair was tied in a bun and she had olive eyes. She was quite the beauty! However I could not be swayed with an adorable rabbit by my side!
"Only an hour? Not very confident in your abilities are you?"
I just shrugged. An hour was a long time for a bath anyways, though perhaps the people in this world were just super slow when it came to bathing? It was entirely possible with baths being rare that they had special techniques!
Could I learn such a power?
Belle seemed to regain some of her sanity as her jaw dropped. Her face was beat red and she seemed to be shot through the heart with rage as my next words left my mouth.
"Maybe you could teach me then?" I smiled at the woman, and she smiled widely right back.
"Of course I could young man-" The woman spoke but was immediately cut off by Belle who interrupted her with a venomous tone.
"That is not up the choice of my foolish companion. Do not tread what you can not handle."
The woman snorted lightly and gave a dangerous smile to Belle. However I decided to interrupt what was going on. I didn't want the Rabbit to be mad at this nice lady!
"Well if Belle doesn't say it's alright then it's not alright." Perhaps she just wanted to teach me herself? The woman let out a faint sigh but smiled nonetheless.
"So be it, that will be 3,000 Valis per person."
Just for the hour!? What the hell was that!? Alas I promised Belle cleanliness, and as of such she would receive it.
I handed the woman the money and she started to look at our pair slightly differently. It was a bit odd, sort of like we were being compared to each other? Was I being judged? Was Belle being judged?
I didn't really care, but it was still a curious thought!
"Alright you two, enjoy."
The woman set us into a small room with white marble tile, there was a decent sized bath in the center. Along the walls were tons of different things.
Some kind of drink? There were actually a lot of different drinks, I recognized one of them as some kind of wine (probably) but some of these were pink and purple. It took me quite a while, but eventually I did find what I was looking for.
Belle's expression was dark as I turned around. However I simply had to show her what I'd found! However as I spoke she was taking off her shirt with a fiery blush. Was the heat already getting to her?
Nonetheless I found what I needed after a bit of searching!
"I found the Soap! Let's do this!"
She spoke just after me and I was confused by her words, as they didn't make any sense with what I'd said!
"You beast to force such a thing upon a Lady- wait, what?"
"What?"
She looked down at her breasts and I followed her eyes, they were pretty small, but they were cute.
Wait a second. Didn't my cousin say that I shouldn't stare at a girl's breasts? That it was rude?
"Ah, I'm sorry Belle. Let's just take our bath and go, I can look away if you'd like." At those words I turned around with a sad sigh. I'd bathed with my Mom before, I suppose I saw Belle as family to soon . . . a faint tear threatened to leave my eye yet her next words cut me off.
"I-It's alright."
I whipped around with a smile and gave her a hug, though it was a bit awkward because she was half clothed and I was fully clothed. For some reason she kept staring at my pants, but I couldn't really get why.
I started to take them off and she practically reeled back, yet her eyes still locked onto my lower area.
Belle was a weird girl, seriously, my eyes are up here! Oh, maybe Belle was bad with eye contact, that was a sign of Autism . . . that would explain so much actually!
Belle was certainly on the spectrum! Everything made sense now!
Isabelle Cranel POV
Beast. Lecher. Pervert.
All words I'd prepared to use to describe him if he tried to force me into such a situation with the baited promise of cleanliness.
Yet I could not speak them in good faith as I stared.
Grandmother had told me of the countless perverted men, and warned me of the tactics they'd attempt to use.
However I could not be prepared for such deviousness from Andrew. I'd thought him a Fool, yet he was far more Foolish than I could have ever anticipated!
He was far too honest, and honestly quite idiotic.
I continued to stare at his underwear as though looking for something before I blushed with extreme embarrassment and turned away.
W-was I the pervert? Could it have been that all those times he offered to 'sleep' with me he truly only meant just that? I heard no lewd sounds from Hestia, so it was entirely possible.
I buried my face in my hands, the sheer audacity of the situation blindsiding me.
Yet I had never shown to be a pervert in the past, so why now? Why with him?
Why did I not turn him down so readily?
I must have been stock still for far too long because water fell on my head, and liquid soap started to run through my hair as he washed it with gentle hands. It felt good, unlike how rough Grandmother had been with me.
I bit my lip and let out a weighty sigh that I felt I'd been holding back for far too long. I'd felt myself letting go, and I could not prevent anything from resisting the sheer care of which he treated me.
"Used to have to watch my younger cousin all the time when he was a baby, so I got pretty good at washing other people. You look stressed, so just lay back and enjoy Belle!"
His voice was so jovial, as though he lacked a care in the world despite how much he'd claimed to desire and be capable of.
I spoke to him, the words leaving my mouth without a thought. Just a question I'd felt I'd had to ask, because I HAD to know his answer.
"How can you be so happy when you set out to accomplish so much? How aren't you weighed down by everything?"
He paused for a moment before taking a seat next to me on the stone bench inside the water. He looked straight into my eyes, as though he'd been looking straight into my soul.
"Belle you're a lot smarter than me." I blushed at the compliment, but he continued. "I know you can see the problems with this city, all of the injustice, pain, greed, hate, and despair."
I let out a slow nod, curious to where he was going with this. He just gave me tons of reasons why fighting was so hard, why it hurt so much simply to exist, pains I knew far too well.
"I'm certain so many have gotten hurt trying to be good, trying to be kind. To the point where living with kindness and joy is seen as weakness."
"Then why, why be weak?" Grandmother had told me weakness was a sin, and I'd do my best to correct it. That was all kindness could ever be-
"It makes me stronger."
I blinked at his words. What? Before letting out a defeated laugh, he really was a Fool. His casual smile made my heart accelerate and his words made my chest hurt.
"Inaction leads to depression and stress. Action leads to positive change and hope." He chuckled.
"When I was kid my dad told me something I'd never forget. He pointed high to the sky and shouted to the heavens that 'If you see someone suffering, do something, allowing that to happen causes your heart to suffer. So let's fight for the sake of everyone's hearts!"
I let out a faint breath. His logic was ridiculous.
"Couldn't I just hide away and never see the suffering of the world then? Couldn't I distance my heart until I felt nothing? What if I couldn't do anything at all, what if every time I made an action in a desperate attempt to bring happiness to someone it was ruthlessly crushed. What then, what if everything I do doesn't matter?"
He gave me a hug and whispered in my ear. It sent a chill through my body, to the point where I'd completely forgotten we were both basically naked.
"Would that make you happy?" He gently peeled away and looked at me with faint tears in his eyes. He let out a sad smile and continued.
"Belle, the truth is that everything we do one day is going to turn to dust at the hands of time. Every single action we take doesn't matter on the cosmic scale. It's insignificant to the greater world."
Then WHY-
"Yet, we aren't cosmic beings, we are insignificant beings who value insignificant acts. We like to read stories despite them not providing nourishment, we like to spend time with those we love even though it may not grant us shelter, so many actions we take don't directly contribute to our survival yet we take them anyways."
He took a breath and continued his speech.
"We are strange beings in an even stranger world. Even if someone tries to tell me that it will all be undone, even if everything will one day be erased, I will keep fighting!"
He gave me a radiant smile, a crazed look in his eyes I'd never seen before. As though he was facing off against a mighty monster with a blade in hand and ready to defeat it in order to protect the city behind him.
"Even if we fade, someone else will bear the torch for as long as they can, for as we inspire, as we save, as we act as Heroes, others will rise to the occasion! They too shall pass on that flame, and while I know it will one day burn out, the positive change to the lives of countless people will be worth it! Even if I can only save one person, that is still one person I've saved! Don't you get it Belle, it's not the scale that matters. It's the desire for action and action itself!"
At this point he was standing on the stone, pointing forwards at nothing in particular. However I couldn't help but feel as though he was pointing towards the most important thing in the world.
"I fight for joy, I fight for kindness, I fight for love, so I ask of you my treasured companion . . . Will you not only fight for what you believe in, but experience the fruits of your compassionate heart as well?"
I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be a Hero. I wanted to be so much more than an Avenger, yet those feelings still weighed me down. I wasn't a Hero in the same way he was. I was wreathed in darkness, but I could feel his hand pulling my heart up despite the tugging feelings. It was confusing but I had come to a conclusion.
I still spoke the words, my heart knew what it wanted.
It wanted to experience the joy this world had to offer instead of falling into despair.
It wanted to be saved. It wanted to fight alongside and become a Hero.
"I will."
Is it Wrong to Find Joy in Fighting the Dungeon?
"Then I'll be glad to have you by my side. Until the very end."
He gave a heroic smile that warmed my heart alongside his words, yet my eyes slowly fell down to his exposed p-penis and I couldn't help but blush and splash water at him in order to block my vision.
I was still a noble Lady after all . . . so why did I hesitate to block my view!?
I stared into his eyes while he gave me a laugh at my actions.
He was a Fool, yet one I had no doubt could one day become something great. His heart was that of a true Hero, and I couldn't help but look up to him for that.
We'd finished bathing shortly after that, and I still was uncertain if I'd be able to refuse him if he asked that of me. In fact I think I might just get enraged if someone else dared try to take my Hero.
Yet I still felt a feeling I did not understand. A desire, a heartbeat, a rush.
Could it be . . . n-no. I can't get distracted, also there's no way I'd be such an easy woman! I refused to be seduced so quickly!
AN: I wrote this in a fugue while drinking some Green Tea. Anyways in this one Andrew takes Belle to a Love Hotel and shenanigans ensue. Shenanigans go from 'this is quite silly' to 'this is hopeful but also a bit depressing!' really fast!
Also I can't believe the Noble Lady is this perverted! I can't believe so many older women are perving on Andrew! Though at least Belle is his age . . .