Chapter Text
Hello and welcome.
This is my own Fanfiction about Danmachi. I prefer to let my writing do the talking, but allow me to give you a couple of pointers.
For one, you will notice that the events of the main story mainly adhere to the source material. It’s going to be mostly the case up to the battle of the Black Goliath. Until then, it’s going to be a buildup, necessary to prepare for the point of divergence through minor corrections to the events, and to allow me to flesh out the characters in this timeline.
Second, keep in mind that I started writing this story before I got my hands on Volume 20. Therefore, to compensate for some missing lore, I will leave the door open on major plot points and correct them over time, because I always make a point of not alienating them from the original work too much.
Hope you enjoy.
Dardanus opened his eyes, his head hurting worse than the time he had tried the divine wine. Trying to recollect himself, he grunted and pushed himself up, holding his head with a hand.
Then a flash of memory. He jolted up and looked around...to see the crushing sight in front of his eyes.
The pitiful remains of his whole Familia, with bodies and blood stretching over meters on end around him in the middle of countless monsters’ magic stones and loot items. Not far from there, Hera Familia had encountered the same fate.
As he looked around, his breathing heavy and distressed, oblivious to anything else going on around him, he started to search for anyone who could still be alive.
«Achilles...? Desklia…?» He asked, searching for his closest friends first, but he only saw corpses scattered on shapeless debris and gear scattered all over. Men and women of all races, the entirety of Zeus and Hera Familias...had just been wiped out.
Just as the thought started tearing his mind and heart apart, the source of that catastrophe suddenly reared its ugly head. A loud, disgusting breath reminded Dardanus of what had just happened; he turned to his right and saw it again.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon. The very reason the two strongest Familias in the world had set off to slay.
The Dragon was standing there, where the Adventurers had just challenged it and its hordes of monster minions. Its single eye was now watching straight at the only one left standing.
Yet, even if it was standing triumphant, the beast was clearly wounded. Hit with countless types of magic during the gigantic battle that had just taken place, the King of Monsters, the last of the Three Great Quests, was on the verge of death.
Still, had it wanted, it could have easily done it there and then. Dardanus, having an arm broken and his legs barely holding up, could only stare with desperation, waiting for the dragon to open its mouth or swing one of its clawed paws and finish the job as it turned its only eye toward him.
Until a spear flew across the air, surrounded by a beaming aura and hit the neck of the dragon with unfathomable strength, breaking several scales of the enormous reptile, and dark blood started to rain down as the monster writhed in pain, but it didn’t fall.
Instead, it eventually unfurled its wings and flew away, probably to find somewhere to recover from its massive injuries.
Dardanus turned to see who had thrown the javelin. He thought he had recognized the blow, and his eyes quickly confirmed his intuition: a tall, muscular man, covered in wounds and barely able to stand, with brown, curly hair and beard, and black eyes.
«Heracles!» Dardanus exclaimed with just a hint of hope.
But any good feeling was smashed immediately as the strongest member of Zeus Familia fell again to the ground.
Gathering every inch of his strength that was left, Dardanus moved to reach his friend and then knelt next to him.
«Heracles…» he said, rubbing the dying man’s shoulder.
The dying Adventurer smiled at his lifelong friend and battle-brother. «Dardanus...you truly...are hard to kill…»
«Don’t talk! We need to get you out of here!» the other replied urgently.
Heracles hissed in pain. «It’s useless...the Captain...everyone’s dead...and the curse of the Dragon...is about to take me...too…»
«I said stop! We can…»
But Heracles, with his last bit of strength, reached and firmly gripped his fellow Adventurer’s hand. «Dardanus...you have to...find...Meteria.»
«What?»
«Please...promise me…»
For the first time in his life, Dardanus saw Heracles shedding tears of pleading. Such was the state in which the strongest Adventurer in history had now been reduced to: begging for a favor instead of doing anything possible.
Dardanus watched in horror as life was slowly leaving the body of his friend. However, at the last possible moment, he found his resolve.
«I promise.»
Heracles smiled and took his last breath. «Thank...you.»
Dardanus gently set the fallen's hand back on the chest and joined his own hands on top of it, taking a moment to mourn his friend.
When they had set out for the last of the Three Great Quests, everybody in the two Familias knew that it could be a one-way trip. Still, after the remarkable successes against the Leviathan and Behemoth, that thought had taken a backseat in their minds.
Now, Dardanus found himself as the last survivor of his own group. For a 27-year-old, such a thought would have been crushing and debilitating. Indeed, his own heart was begging to be allowed to explode.
However, he could not allow himself to cry there and then.
The Dragon was still alive. It may have been severely wounded, to the point where it might need decades to recover, but it would return, and it would seek once again to bring an end to humanity all over the world.
Orario’s top two most powerful Familias had been wiped out, meaning that the city was vulnerable to unrest and chaos that would come with an inevitable power struggle. Most importantly, Zeus and Hera would probably be banished from Orario by their rivals.
Finally, the promise that had just been made.
But...Meteria? A non-combatant from Hera Familia, known to be affected by a disease and probably not having much time left in this mortal world. Why would Heracles ask him to look after her?
As the question kept buzzing in his mind, Dardanus suddenly saw somebody rise from the field of the dead. A man donning heavy black armor, adorned by a red cape and using his large sword to bring himself up.
«Zald!» Dardanus called, hoping that at least this time, it wasn’t a fleeing vision. He hurried and met with possibly the last living executive of the Familia, who removed his helmet to reveal a scarred face, gray eyes, and short, dark brown hair.
«Dardanus…» the other Adventurer groaned. «Glad to see you made it.»
Dardanus lowered his head. «I wouldn’t have...if not for Heracles.» he said mournfully.
«I see…» Zald replied in the same tone, realizing what had just happened.
After a brief silence, unsure what they should do, Dardanus regained his composure.
«Come on. We can’t be the only ones left.» he said with resolution, even though he himself wasn’t sure of those words.
Nonetheless, Zald nodded, and they started scouring the pathetic field for anyone still breathing, though most of the bodies were not even whole to begin with. In the end, a single woman emerged from the disaster, while the two men were still searching.
«Alfia!» Dardanus said, quite surprised to see the silver-haired woman, an Executive of Hera Familia.
«Dardanus…» she said with little emotion. «Figures you would survive this.» she said, standing up, holding a wound on her left side. She looked at him with her peculiar eyes, one green and the other gray, and asked, «Is there anybody else?»
«Zald. He’s searching on the other side.» Dardanus somberly said. «But honestly...I don’t think there's anyone else. Heracles just died in front of me.»
«Oh...so the spear was his.» she commented regretfully. «Damn it. How did we fail so much?»
«It’s not over yet.» Dardanus replied firmly. «We have injured that monster badly. It will need years to heal completely. Now our priority should be returning to Orario and prepare for what’s coming next.»
The woman nodded, then reached for what remained of a chart and several bags. She found some potions that would let the group easily restore their strength, then they found some straggling mounts and headed back to Orario, the Dungeon City.
It took them five days to reach the city, and they did so by pushing the horses to the limit. They avoided major settlements as they crossed the lands that belonged to the Empire. News of the disaster had not reached them yet, but their mere arrival, so desperately quiet, was enough for everyone to understand that something terrible had happened. Yet, they were even more surprised to learn that Zeus was not at his residence but instead at Hera’s.
It was at that point that Dardanus decided it was time to ask the question that had been bothering him throughout the trip.
«Alfia. With his dying words...Heracles asked me to look after your sister. Do you know why he would ask for her specifically?»
Alfia, for a second, widened her eyes with an expression that was a mixture of surprise, anguish and anger, then sighed in resignation. «Because she is pregnant.»
Something broke inside the heads of the two male Adventurers, so they needed a few seconds to regain their focus.
«What?» Zald asked, his usual composure shattered. «When?!»
«Around two months ago, I think.»
«And...was it Heracles?» Dardanus asked, though he found it very strange that his closest friend would hide such a fact from him.
Alfia clicked her tongue with a hiss. «I wish...it was Cranel.»
Now jaws hit the floor, even as they stood on top of the animals.
«Cranel?! The pervert whiner?!» Zald asked, scandalized.
«Look, can we just...get moving?» the woman said, exhausted. She brought her mount before the gate and dismounted.
Shaking their heads out of the shock, the two men followed soon, and the three entered the now sorrowfully empty manor that hosted Hera Familia. The only people present were a handful of recruits and non-combatants of both Familias, who were shocked to see the three Level 7s return on their own. Their faces made it perfectly clear that the time of Zeus and Hera had already ended.
Alfia asked where the gods were, and the supporter stuttered that they were in the Captain’s office.
Indeed, as they approached the door, the three could hear Hera in a raging rant. The woman was about to open the door when Dardanus reached her shoulder.
«Wait, Alfia. I think it’s better if you go to Meteria. Make sure she’s fine. We’ll go ahead and take the brunt of Hera’s screams.»
Pondering for a brief second, the mage quickly came to agree with her companion’s words and let them enter the office while she rushed toward her sister’s room.
Entering, she found her twin lying on the bed, her upper body leaning against three pillows to keep her somewhat upright. At the sound of the door, Meteria turned from the window, recognized who it was, and immediately gave a wide smile.
«Sister…» she said, as if she had already resigned to the idea of never seeing her again.
Alfia approached the bed with a tender expression.
«What, did you think I would just die, Myrtella?» she tried to joke.
Meteria, however, for how goodhearted and naive she could have been, was not stupid. Her sister had returned, but the city was silent, meaning that something had gone terribly wrong.
«How...how many came back?» she asked, saddened.
«Only me, Zald and Dardanus.» Alfia replied sincerely and a bit cautiously. «Everyone else...is dead.»
«And…?» Meteria tried to ask with a bit of embarrassment and fear.
Alfia softly sighed. «I only found some pieces of his backpack and protective cloth. I’m sorry.»
The pregnant woman had most likely already imagined that answer. While she wasn’t shocked, she still sniffled and shed tears for the next few minutes. Alfia truly couldn’t understand how anyone but Zeus could care for someone like Cranel, but right now she took a chair, sat next to her sister, and put a hand on her shoulder to offer some measure of solace.
It went on for a few minutes before Meteria regained control and stopped crying. She lowered her gaze and touched her belly, which by now was starting to show the signs of a pregnancy.
«Are you all right?» Alfia asked her, seeing how pale she was. «With your condition, can you really carry that child to the end?»
Meteria made a soft smile, like she always did. «I was never able to do anything. I’m clumsy at whatever I ever tried, if not outright disastrous. If giving birth to a healthy and beautiful child is to be my only real accomplishment, I will give my all to see it through.»
Alfia sighed and eventually smiled.
That moment of peace lasted a few more minutes before they heard a knock on the door.
«Come in.» Meteria invited gently.
Dardanus and Zald obliged, entering and closing the door behind them.
«Well, that was a nightmare.» the former said only partially as a joke. «However...Meteria, we need to talk.»
The woman quickly realized they had been told about her pregnancy. She thus gave them her full attention.
«It’s...uncommon to see two Adventurers with an active falna to produce an offspring.» Zald commented.
«That’s an understatement. It shouldn’t be possible at all.» Dardanus continued. «But apparently, you and...that guy, did it.»
«I know he wasn’t perfect, but...he wasn’t a bad guy, once you knew him.» Meteria said with a mournful voice.
«Look, while I was surprised to hear it, it doesn’t really matter.» the Adventurer replied. «What’s important here is that the last person we knew who was born from two active Adventurers...was Heracles.»
«And we all know how he turned out.» Zald added.
«Isn’t it quite early to make that assumption?» Alfia asked skeptically.
«If it were just us, I’d agree.» Dardanus replied calmly. «But Zeus just assured me that that will be the case.»
«How did you get all of that while Hera was raging around?» Zald asked tiredly.
«You just have to learn how to tune out. Anyways, with our Familias gone, there is nobody left who can think of fighting the Black Dragon. Not to mention the fact that Orario will now face a prolonged period of crisis.»
«What do you mean?» Alfia asked.
«We were the leading Familias, for a start. Now, the city will have to find a new leadership. There are foreign powers that have longed for a moment like this for years. And then there’s Evilus to think about.»
Alfia and Zald made a concerned grunt.
«Our Familias kept them in check for the last millennia, but now I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to exploit the chaos that is coming.» Dardanus continued, leaning his chin on his right hand’s knuckles. Then he lowered them and continued. «Which brings me to my other point: Meteria, I think you should leave Orario.»
The two women wore surprised expressions.
«What is the meaning of this, Dardanus?» Alfia asked, indignant. «Where is she supposed to go?»
«You know full well that we have hideouts all around Orario’s territory out of the walls. Zeus has offered to accompany and protect her and the child, since it won’t be long before the Familias, who have long coveted our positions, will banish him and Hera out of the city.»
That harsh reality left everyone speechless, and the room was silent for a few seconds.
«How?» Zald then asked, unable to comprehend.
Dardanus turned around and looked sternly at him.
«How can you keep making plans like this? We have lost all our comrades. We weren’t strong enough to kill the Dragon. Dardanus... what right do we have to keep making this kind of plan? All I feel right now is...regret...and frustration. We were supposed to die on that field.»
«Are you done with the self-loathing?» Dardanus asked, annoyed.
«Uh?»
«You’re right. We failed spectacularly. We took on a challenge when we weren’t ready, and we lost all our comrades. However, it’s not just that I made a promise to my dearest friend: with our Familias gone, there is only a handful of Adventurers in Orario that reach even Level 5. This city is now more vulnerable than ever. The same city we have fought so hard to preserve. We failed in our duty to protect it, but if you think that I will just lie down and leave it to its own fate, you’re dead wrong.»
Everyone in the room was stunned and enraptured by the fire that could be seen burning in Dardanus’ eyes.
«True. We have no right to be deciding for the city anymore. The challenge of saving it...the challenge of slaying the Black Dragon and conquering the Dungeon now will have to be passed on to the next generation. Most importantly, the city is now in a predicament because we weren’t strong enough. Are you seriously suggesting we escape our responsibilities and just sit down, waiting for our deaths?!»
Zald gulped, his stoic expression shattered by a mix of amazement and prideful shame.
«For all that matters, I will give everything to help shape the next generation! Whether that means teaching them or beating the living shit out of them until they reach my level, I have no intention of dropping my failures on the shoulders of anyone else, no sir!»
Dardanus then turned toward Meteria, or more precisely, the child within her. «What kind of grown-up would I be if I leave the kids to clear up my own mess?»
Silence followed. Dardanus had delivered those words almost out of instinct, though now he felt kinda awkward.
That was until Zald started laughing, and even Alfia smiled as she shook her head.
«Now I get why the Captain wanted you to be his successor.» the armored man said. «All right, then. I guess I will spend what’s left of my days doing some penance.»
«There is no use living with regrets. Not to mention, I believe that would make me look older.» Alfia added, then she turned toward her sister. «Myrtella, I will come with you, wherever you’re going.»
«R-Really?» the twin asked, surprised.
«I’ll be damned before I leave you in the hands of that perverted god. If he tries to take advantage of you while you’re weaker than ever, I’ll blast him straight back to Heaven.» the mage replied with an affection that sounded exceptionally threatening nonetheless. Then her expression grew more serious, almost saddened. «Besides...I hate to say this out loud, but with your health...who knows if you will survive the birthing?»
The men were honestly surprised to hear it. The sisters had always had a close relationship, but nobody had ever seen Alfia become sentimental toward her twin to that extent.
Meteria was also caught off guard, but then her face seemed to beam with its own light. She gently grabbed one of Alfia’s hands into her own two. «Yes. I’ll be in your care, sister.»
Alfia turned her head away, but all she gained was to show her blushing cheeks to two people instead of just one. «I-It’s nothing. We are sisters.»
«Glad to hear that.» Dardanus said and decided to bring her out of her sentimental predicament. «Then go discuss the details with Zeus. Also, if you could please try to appease your Goddess…»
Alfia sighed in frustration. «Fine.»
She left the room. Zald, having nothing else to say, left as well. Dardanus stopped to reassure the pregnant woman.
«Meteria. I want you to know that Heracles asked me to watch over you. I promise I’ll come to visit when I can.»
The woman gave him a kind smile. «Thank you, Dardanus. I’m much better knowing that this child will be well taken care of.»
«Of course. Now try to rest while you can.»
The situation in Orario went down just as Dardanus predicted: with Zeus leaving by his own will, it took only a few days before Loki and Freya forced Hera, now left without followers, out of the city.
Her terrible character certainly did the most to drive out what little of her Familia remained. However, since the two deities had not been sent to Heaven, the falnas on the remains of their Familias were still active, meaning that there was still a relatively large group of Adventurers left without guidance, and they started to gravitate around Dardanus and Zald.
The latter had given up on any planning. It was the former who decided the next course of action.
That was: putting what was left of Zeus and Hera Familia under the Guild’s authority...by becoming followers of Ouranos and creating the City Guard, devoting what should have been the Ouranos Familia into a force of professional soldiery and police, in order to ensure law and order in the city while the Familias squabbled to fill the power vacuum.
Half a year after the catastrophe against the Black Dragon, the city was in upheaval. Zeus and Hera Familias were so big and powerful that nearly half of the economy of Orario was centered around them. Now, smaller Familias of blacksmiths, healers and those who provided several services for the two top-tier found themselves unemployed.
The creation of the Guard also helped assuage this crisis by bringing some of these Familias back to work for their former employers. Still, the Guard was significantly smaller and it was the Guild that was supposed to pay for all the provisions and supplies of the Guard, meaning that there wasn’t enough space for everybody and Dardanus had been forced to choose the services of a handful of them.
Names such as Hephaistos and Goibniu Familias to provide weapons and armors; Dian Cecht Familia for potions and healers; Hermes Familia for intel gathering. All of the others were still struggling to reshape their enterprises.
Any Familia of Adventurers, while free to act as they wanted, could be used as levies to bolster the ranks of the Guard, should the Guild issue an order to do so to face an emergency.
And as for Dardanus, he had been nominated Executor, the executive force of the Guild to arrest anyone threatening the order of the city and repelling any enemy invasion, and there were lots of them:
Evilus had gained confidence and started terror attacks around the whole territory of Orario; outside, the Kingdom of Rakia and the Empire had just brokered an alliance, and there was no other target for such an agreement than Orario, coveted by the martial states for the presence of the Dungeon, which they wanted for its riches as well as to build a formidable fighting force.
Though the most peculiar of the new reforms was another one entirely: every eight days, both Dardanus and Zald started to stand in the middle of the Amphiteatron, accepting challenges or training requests from anyone who wanted to increase their Excelia.
While they announced thay would do their best not to kill anyone, they were still the only Level 7s in the city, and they had no intention of going easy on anyanyone. Whoever chose the challenge should be prepared to put their lives on the line. And the challengers could be a whole fighting force of a Familia.
So far, everyone who tried to duel even a single one of them had been mercilessly used to wipe the dusty ground of the arena, but both men agreed that there were some promising Adventurers, such as Ottar from Freya Familia or Finn Deinme, Captain of the Loki Familia, whose strategic mind Dardanus had come to admire.
Yet, no crisis could hold them back from reaching the mountains on that day. With the excuse of going out to patrol the region, the two men reached the village where Zeus, Meteria and Alfia were hiding. Several women from the same town came and went through the small hut.
Dardanus and Zald dismounted from their horses, and the former asked one of the women.
«Excuse me. We’re relatives of Miss Cheira. How is she?»
«She’s in full labor. But honestly, I don’t know if she will live long after this.» she said with a resigned yet stoic tone, for that was far from a rare occurrence out in the wild regions.
«I see. Thank you.»
They entered the hut, finding Zeus waiting at the table that served as both a living room and a dining room, and from there they reached the bedroom, just in time to hear Meteria make her last push before a baby cry filled the air.
As the other women slowly gave way and began to clean up, Dardanus and Zald reached the side of the bed and found Alfia holding the baby in her arms.
«It’s a boy.» she said with a soft tone, then lowered herself to give him to the mother.
On her part, Meteria was pale to the point that one wondered how she still moved. Nonetheless, she used all her energy to take the newborn boy, a tired smile on her face. The three Adventurers watched with a smile that was only compromised by the pain in their eyes, as they could see how barely Meteria was holding on to life.
«What’s his name?» Zald asked, trying to ease the mood.
After another panting, the mother replied: «Bell. Bell Cranel.»
«Ugh...you really want to stick that lecher’s name onto him?» Alfia asked, quite annoyed.
«Yes. It sounds just right.» the mother replied as she kept gazing and smiling tenderly at the baby, who just started to calm down. «But most importantly, his name is in your honor, Alfia.» she then added with a radiant expression.
«What?» Alfia asked, baffled.
«Your strongest magic. Doesn’t it manifest with a bell over your head?» Meteria said with her unwavering solar tone.
The three shook their heads and smiled. That was so naive, and yet so like her.
Alfia sighed, then whipped out an elixir. «Sure. Now drink this. All of it.» she said severely.
Meteria complied and gulped down the whole phial.
«This should give you...some time.» the mage said with a fatalistic voice. «At least you should last through the nursing period.»
«It’s all right.» Meteria replied, her optimism unyielding. «I’ll make sure Bell gets the first push.» she said, then she added with a whisper and a faithful smile. «I’m sorry, little one. I wish I could see you grow. But I know you will become a fine man.»
As feared, Meteria would pass away nearly a year later. Zeus thus took the task of raising Bell by himself. Dardanus, not trusting the god’s sense of morality, was the only one who managed to find some time, among seven years of war and instability, to visit the child at least once a month.
Zald was reluctant to revisit the kid, as he had begun to believe they shouldn’t put all their hopes for a future hero on him. It was neither fair to the kid nor a sound strategy overall, given that some Adventurers in Orario were already showing concrete results.
For one, there was a healer in Dian Cecht Familia who had managed to do what seemed impossible: heal both Zald and Alfia of their medical conditions, which seemed incurable. However, in exchange for that, Alfia had also lost Genos Angelus, her most potent magical attack, for it was bound to her disease. The same spell after which Meteria had chosen the name of her son.
Loki Familia and Freya Familia were now essential pieces in the exploration of the Dungeon. The City Guard had grown a lot, being the first line of defense during this Dark Age for Orario. It now sported a thousand members with the average level at 4. Any new recruit had to undergo brutal training before being left to survive on their own for a week inside the Dungeon. It had become a disciplined, effective fighting force, with even three members reaching Level 6.
As such, Dardanus, Zald and Alfia were preparing to step down from their commanding positions in the Guard, letting a new generation taking the reins, and with some more free time at hand, the former finally convinced his companions to come with him to visit Bell.
«I promise, guys. By the end of this afternoon, you are going to love him.» he reassured as they approached the village.
«Whatever.» Zald replied with a neutral tone. «I’m here because I feel I owe him at least once, for Meteria and Cranel.»
«Sure, sure…» Dardanus replied with a calmly confident smile.
It was Alfia who seemed to be the most conflicted.
«Something wrong, Alf?» Dardanus asked.
«I just...I don’t feel like I have any right to be here. I wasn’t there for Meteria and Bell when she died, and I have refrained from coming here ever since he was born.» she said with regret and a hint of shame. «What if he hates me?»
«Just you wait.» the Adventurer reassured.
Among all this, Dardanus had just risen to Level 8 after the recent battle of Orario, which saw the Adventurers and the City Guard repeal the overwhelming combined force of Rakia, the Empire and Evilus, thanks in no small part to his leadership that prompted all the other Familias to give their all and rise to the challenge.
Perhaps that was why he was so optimistic that day. However, he also spoke knowingly about Bell’s personality and his friends'.
They approached the small hut of Zeus (or, as far as Bell knew, ‘Grandpa Ercheos’) and the boy, who just so happened to be working their small vegetable garden.
Bell rose his head and saw the three Adventurers. At first, he was curious, but when he saw Dardanus, his face beamed with happiness.
«Uncle Dardanus!» he said happily, running toward him.
Dardanus chuckled and extended his arms. The garden was slightly higher than the road, so Bell used the difference in altitude to jump and reach the limbs that quickly made him spin.
«How are you doing, champ?» Dardanus asked affectionately.
«Great! Hey, you know I just finished the book you gave me?»
«Seriously? That was quite difficult to read. I hoped it kept you busy for another year.» the adult joked.
Bell gave an amused, innocent laugh. Dardanus looked at him with a tender smile.
It seemed quite incredible to go from the devastated city, the death, destruction and misery that had affected and was still partially affecting Orario, and then reach that village, where all seemed peaceful, and where that boy was growing with a big smile on his face.
Dardanus gazed behind him and saw that Zald was looking at the scene with apparent calm, but Alfia was clearly hiding behind him. He thus renewed his smile and turned, putting Bell down but keeping a hand on his shoulder.
«Bell, I want to present you to my two friends. The ones I told you about in my stories.»
Bell’s attention first fell on Zald, for his eyes sparked in seeing a man with a complete set of armor and a sword as tall as him on his back.
«Whoa...so this is Sir Zald. Nice to meet you! You’re so cool!» the kid spouted out without thinking, just jumping from the excitement and making the same beaming smile as Meteria.
Not even five seconds later, Zald’s stoic face had completely given way to a playful smirk. «Nice to meet you, young Bell.»
«Is it true that you fought monsters? How many times have you seen the Dungeon? And…»
While Bell seemed ready to ask an endless stream of curious questions, his eyes fell on the beautiful and graceful lady of the group, who suddenly walked out from behind Zald.
She didn’t seem able to wipe her saddened expression away, even if her eyes remained closed as always.
There was no way Bell had any memory of his mother, and yet…
«M...Mom?» he whispered, amazed and blushing a little.
That innocent and legitimate question broke something inside Alfia. She knelt on the ground and said with a hint of regret: «Hi, Bell. I am...your mother’s sister…»
Dardanus silently rolled his eyes. Alfia was still sensitive about being called anything that made her feel old, after all.
On the other end, that revelation had left Bell frozen, which rendered the scene silent for a couple of seconds.
Then Bell’s eyes glinted again and, with another blinding smile and sparkling eyes, he asked with a lovable excitement: «You’re my Auntie?!»
For a split second, Zald and Dardanus truly feared for everybody’s life, their faces paling from the terror of what they imagined would be her reaction.
That turned out to be Alfia breaking the dam. She opened her eyes, a stream of tears running down her face, and a deep regret, then managed to smile.
«Yes...I’m your Auntie.» and she extended her hands to invite his own.
«Huh?!» the other two adults huffed out of disbelief.
Bell grabbed his newfound relative’s hands, and Alfia gently squeezed them.
«How cool! I always wanted an auntie!» he said with a disarming candidness.
Alfia broke down further and began sobbing. She thus grabbed Bell and hugged him with a gentle firmness.
«I’m sorry, Bell…I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier...»
Again, Dardanus and Zald were at a loss for words. Seeing that kid dissolve Alfia’s armor of ice with just three or four words was somewhat appalling...and incredibly touching.
So much that they couldn’t hold back a chuckle and a smile.
«All right, old man…you got us.» Zald admitted.
«Ahahah! Of course I did. I always know who I’m dealing with. And this kid...I can only hope that he never loses this purity.»
Seven more years passed. Ever since that first meeting, not a month went by without Alfia going to visit the boy for days on end, even if that meant dealing with Zeus’ unwanted attentions.
The entire city took notice of her frequent sorties, but given the fact that Ouranos himself had authorized her, nobody else knew the reason behind her travels, not even the Guild.
Most importantly, everyone could see how quickly her personality was changing. Before, she had been extremely strict. She would beat down everyone who raised their voice beyond a limit that she accepted, and she barely complimented anyone.
Now she was becoming more approachable and patient. Even during the weekly trainings, she stopped hurling insults, especially with the younger Adventurers, as she instead began to give out pointers and suggestions patiently.
As a result, she had made a few more friends. Most notably, Riveria Ljos Alf, Vice-Captain of Loki Familia, one of the most powerful Mages in the city, and Crown Princess of the High Elves.
While she didn’t have the complete picture yet, Riveria was the only one who began to realize that Alfia was seeing someone very precious to her whenever she left the walls.
Sometimes, Dardanus or Zald would join the visit and give Bell some basic notions on the life of an Adventurer. Once the boy turned 14, after much insistence, he convinced them to provide him with basic lessons in knife fighting.
Indeed, the Adventurers didn’t take long to realize that the boy longed to follow their footsteps. The fact that he kept reading the tales of ancient heroes time and time again, to the point that he had become a sage on the matter, couldn’t have been a clearer sign.
«Alfia, you know we can’t hold him back.» Dardanus said as they discussed that matter in his office at the Guild. For even if he had left the direct command of the Guard to the new elite of Ouranos’ followers, he had not been allowed to step down from being the Executor.
«If he doesn’t decide to run from home, I wouldn’t be surprised if the old man decides to drop him here all of a sudden.» Zald added.
Alfia was nervously walking around. Out of all three, she was the only one opposed to the idea of Bell becoming an Adventurer and risking his life. She huffed as if trembling at the prospect.
Dardanus made a silent sigh. «Fels, you wanna help us on this matter?»
From the shadowy corner of the office emerged a black-cloaked figure with metallic gloves—Ouranos’s first-ever follower and effective right hand for tasks that required secrecy.
«Lord Ouranos already said that he has no qualms to invite him into the Familia.» the strange echoing voice of the ghost said. «If there’s even a chance that this boy can become akin to Heracles, then we can’t just overlook it.»
«He’s still just a kid…» she muttered quite angrily.
«Ais Wallenstein became an Adventurer when she was an infant.» Zald calmly replied. «And so did many others who today stand at the top of Orario’s strongest. You know better than us just how strong that kid wants to find his own adventure.»
Alfia was still hesitant.
Dardanus thus sighed and delivered logic: «Look, the monsters are becoming ever more present outside of Orario. Do I need to remind you of the invasion that the Empire barely repelled last year?»
Alfia grunted.
«If you really wish to protect him, then Orario is definitely the best place for him to live and grow.»
«Fine…» she finally conceded. «I’ll go and bring him here.»
Someone knocked on the door.
«Come in.» Dardanus replied, while Fel quickly disappeared.
A soldier of the Guard opened and spoke with a formal tone. «Sir, there’s a man from a mountain village...he seems to know you quite well.»
With doubt and curiosity, Dardanus simply replied, «Let him in.»
He wasn’t the old man he imagined, but one he knew nonetheless.
«Village Chief...can I help you?» the Executor asked.
The old man held his cap in his hands and spoke in a mortified tone. «My apologies, Lord Dardanus. It’s just...I figured you’d want to hear this.»
Now Dardanus and the others grew anxious. «Speak freely.» the man managed to reply gently.
«Well...uh...last week...there was an accident, and Ercheos disappeared…»
The Adventurers froze in place.
«What?!» Zald asked.
«What about Bell?!» Alfia immediately asked in a panic.
«He...he left that night...he was coming to Orario and...we haven’t heard since.»
“…”
«EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH??!!!!!!»