We entered the novice blacksmithing area within the Tower of Babel and I was already on the prowl for that familiar emblem of Welf Crozzo.
We entered the novice blacksmithing area within the Tower of Babel and I was already on the prowl for that familiar emblem of Welf Crozzo. The emblem was that of a rabbit if I remembered correctly. However I just couldn't find a Best Friend Sword of his make! I approached the shopkeep with a determined expression on my face.
I'd spoken to Belle earlier on the subject of purchasing weapons and she was confused as to why I was so dead set on this 'Welf Crozzo' when I wasn't buying a magical weapon from him. The answer was easy! Not only had we bonded through a fateful encounter, I was certain that I didn't need a magic sword to succeed!
Would it be the coolest thing ever to have one? Absolutely. I wanted a magic sword, but if I could barely afford a potion there was no way I could afford a magic sword!
"Hi there! I'd like to commission a weapon from Mr. Welf Crozzo!" The man at the counter let out a laugh and started smirking at me with a knowing look.
"If you're looking for a magic weapon, then you're out of luck. He refuses to make them." I blinked with slight intrigue at that. There was probably a story there but I wouldn't pry without even meeting the man, after all I'd assumed it wasn't that he was 'refusing' but instead that he was 'unable.'
"I'm not looking for a magic sword, he makes good stuff so can I put in a request for a specific type of non-magical sword?" The man waved his hand towards me dismissively.
"Tons of people ask him to make the thing he refuses to, the man has been harassed out of the workshop. Not even I know where he makes his weapons anymore. If he stops by I'll let him know, but that could be days to weeks of waiting." I let out a groan. This wasn't right at all! The simple truth was that if I couldn't get a weapon I couldn't properly train with my new friend!
I knew forging could take days as well, what a nightmare! I slumped onto the ground, before shooting back up to my feet. I had no choice but to continue forward.
"Thanks for your time. Please let him know if you see him, I'm a fan of his work." He let out an affirmative hum before turning away and starting to work on something else.
I'd returned to my companions with a light shrug and a smile. Bell was in far more casual clothes than the dress she'd previously worn. She looked a lot more like an adventurer now!
"No luck today, but we can always come back tomorrow!" Belle smiled at my words and tilted her head slightly.
"Of course, but can we still spar without weapons?" I gave a slightly disappointed nod and she gave a beautiful smile. She was actually quite pretty. I perked up after mulling over the details of the spar. Hestia seemed intrigued by words, but also a bit nervous as I spoke before her face morphed into extreme confusion.
"What sparring rules do you want to use? First Blood? First Touch? Kill?" Even Belle seemed a bit surprised at my words causing me to raise an eyebrow. Those were pretty standard?
"You are giving me the option of fighting you to the Death?" Eh?
"I won't allow that Andrew! I thought better of you!" Ehhhhhh?
"Sorry! I'm used to my old training friends' rules. Kill just means landing a strike in a lethal area with nonlethal force. Hestia let out a sigh of relief before staring at me with a determined fire in her eyes.
"Never scare me like that again!"
"I really am sorry Hestia! I would never kill my friends!" Hestia nodded but Belle just silently stared at me for a moment before smiling.
"I think a spar would be quite enjoyable between the two of us." I let out a sigh of relief, my lack of weapon becoming a faint memory as I smiled at her with a thumbs up.
"Alright then! Let's get back home and do this!"
"Just be careful not to hurt each other . . ." I picked up Hestia by the armpits and held her into the sky.
"Don't worry Goddess! We have potions!"
"T-that's not the point!"
"You're quite close with Goddess Hestia." Belle chimed in as I set Hestia down on the cobble of Orario.
"Yep! We're all a part of this Familia, and I hope we can have a relationship like that someday, Belle!" She let out a curious hum while Hestia looked appalled then hugged my side while narrowing her eyes at Belle.
"Perhaps. Anyways, let's get to the spar." Hestia looked up at me with faint concern before speaking.
"If either of you get hurt I want you to stop immediately and if I see anyone get seriously hurt we have potions . . . I'd prefer to save them but my children's health comes first!" Hestia truly is so kind! Thinking back on it, many of the Greek gods were assholes. However Hestia never did a single thing wrong . . . the Sun is truly radiant!
I threw up a combat stance towards Belle and she glanced at me with a smile.
Isabelle Cranel POV
"So what rules would you prefer?" Giving me the option of choosing then? This is where I could prove myself as a far more valuable asset than him to Hestia. While they clearly had some sort of relation outside of power alone this would still be an opportunity to prove myself as the one more worthy of investment from this tiny Familia.
"I'd prefer the Kill rule you spoke of earlier." Hestia let out a strangled groan and he smiled.
"Alright! You said I should use my enhanced strength, right?" I nodded. I would show how wide the gap between us was.
"Amazing! Such commitment to training, to face a foe that holds more strength than you!" My eyebrow twitched at that and I nearly chewed him out for daring to look down on me. However I had a part to play at the moment. I'd play my role and he'd play his. I'd show him that not playing to his talents would just be throwing his life away, for what little it was worth in comparison to my mission.
He slowly approached and his footwork was decent, however that wouldn't matter to an assassin. I'd poke his liver with my finger, within said sleeve lurked my dagger though I had no intent to kill an innocent man like this. It was simply playing along with his 'rules'. My arm struck like the talon of a peacock only for me to suddenly be flipped sideward from the rapid leg sweep jutting towards my leg.
He caught me to prevent me from falling onto the dirty ground of Orario. Before I could react I felt the soft poke of a finger on the side of my neck. What? How could he have been that fast!?
Rage overtook me for a moment before I calmed myself.
Perhaps I'd underestimate the strength the Falna provides, even for a mage. I'd need to enter the Dungeon soon and get stronger, however I also could not show such weakness. I needed to prove myself here and now. So with gritted teeth I spoke.
"Lower your strength down to mine, let's try that again." He gave a jovial smile, and replied earnestly. He reminded me of a hero, but I knew better than that. He wasn't like me or my Aunt. He was doomed to die, just like countless other adventurer's in this hellish city.
"I'd be glad to! It's been ages since I've seen someone with such interesting martial arts!" He saw my movement and recognized it as a martial art? Perhaps there was more to him than I first believed.
"Belle are you alright!?" Hestia ran over holding a high grade potion, a look of concern upon her face. An odd feeling strangled in my chest from her action. I was obviously fine, there was no need for such concern yet she showed it nonetheless. It was odd to see a Goddess act so differently from her own Grandmother when she was allegedly in pain.
Grandmother commanded so much of her in pursuit of their ultimate goal. She looked over to Andrew who also looked at her in gentle concern causing her face to distort and push the small Goddess away.
"I'm fine. Let's continue." Hestia's eyes narrowed before she let out a small huff and handed me the potion anyways. I pocketed it in my belt without a word.
"Well I'll just leave this to you then." She skipped away with a smile causing me to raise an eyebrow. I was fine . . . I was fine. I ignored the thought in favor of Andrew. I'd defeat him here and now, these thoughts had no place in my mind and I'd prove here and now that he was fated to die and this Familia would certainly collapse within the year.
I wouldn't hold back this time. I'd show him the cruel reality of Orario. He was a new adventurer after all.
"Belle, my treasured companion! Let us commence this sacred duel!" He was certainly an odd one.
I rushed towards him and threw a feint which his arm came up to block. I rotated my body and struck my other hand towards his throat. He couldn't move out of the way enough- my knee was bending inwards as he moved past the strike and pressed into me.
I pushed off the ground and flipped in the air while shoving my hands off the ground to catch myself. His eyes opened slightly in interest before I dashed towards him and threw a kick towards his stomach. His arms moved towards my leg and I pulled it in. Using the momentum of the attack I jumped in the air and threw a spinning kick towards his chest.
Only to find myself shoved out of the air. He'd called my feint.
WHAT? How could he be able to read me after only that first engagement? I rolled on the ground and quickly shot up, however he didn't press the advantage.
What a cocky guy. However even I could admit he had some talent.
"You're doing amazing Belle! I'm so proud of you already!" My breathing grew heavy and my body heated slightly, was I winded already? I clicked my tongue. The only person I had to make proud was Grandmother.
That was it.
I moved around him as though stalking my prey and he kept that signature smile on his face. How could I get an opening? I idly thumbed the thick glass vial that had been given to me by Hestia. It wouldn't easily break, so I could use it as a distraction without accidentally getting glass in his skin.
There were no rules against outside tools anyways. I threw the potion causing his eyes to widen as he caught it easily with a hand before it slammed into his face. I took advantage of the momentary blinding of his vision to send a punch into one of his kidneys while rotating my body.
Only for him to rotate his body with my attack and use my momentum against me to throw me to the ground again. I stood stunned for a moment before hearing an . . . apology?
"Ah sorry! Are you alright Belle?" How did he know I was going to rotate like that? He couldn't even see me. My leg ached in a mild pain from the torn flesh I'd received as my reward, however I was used to pain far worse than this. This was nothing- why is he wasting a high rank potion on a wound like this!?
He poured the potion out and it rapidly stitched itself together and he let out a relieved sigh. Hestia ran over with concern over not the wasted money, but my pain.
"Belle! Does it hurt anywhere?" I shook my head in pure bafflement at this scenario. I shifted the topic entirely.
"How did you know I was going to attack you like that?" He let out a light laugh at my words.
"After throwing a feint you seemed to like those rotating attacks on the opposite side of your body. I just assumed you'd be going for the same thing after that awesome feint I could have never predicted!" My expression twisted at that. The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"You aren't mad I threw the potion at you?" He tilted his head while Hestia finally noticed the empty potion vial mostly poured onto the ground.
"What? Why would I be? It was an awesome technique! The way you angled it perfectly to block my vision for your punch was something out of a storybook!" Me? Out of a storybook? I blinked and looked to Hestia who seemed to be gently looking at the formerly wounded knee in relief.
"Well I'm glad you're alright Belle. I think we should call the training there for tonight. You two can get back to it tomorrow, but first we are eating ham and Jagamarukuns!" Andrew pumped his fist in response.
"Yes! I love those potato things!" He held out a hand and pulled me to my feet with gentle precision. As though he'd practiced the movement to not accidentally hurt his sparring partners.
This 'Adnrew' character certainly was an odd one. A strange sensation brewed in my chest as I stared into his eyes for a moment. However I had to shake the feeling away. No matter what he showed here today would be insignificant to what I'd become.
Some day I'd have to leave him behind.
The hurt in my heart went ignored as I followed them inside for a meal.
Andrew Ariti POV
Rank 3: Crossing the Threshold - Increases Growth of Guts. Awakens a special skill within the Fool Arcana.
Oh? She has a cool power like mine now! Hell yeah! I gave Belle a hug and a radiant smile. She was awesome on the battlefield. She would make a great ninja or rogue type character I was sure of it!
"You're so awesome Belle!" Hestia let out a squeak and clutched my side causing me to turn to her.
"So are you Hestia! Now then, let's eat!"
If you'd like to support me or read ahead you can do so on my p . a . t . r . e . o . n . c . o . m/BobOfTheHedgeField