1,346Hello Fanfiction readers! This is Ashbel Longhart here, and like I promised, here is the second chapter that I completed a long time ago. There's three more of these in my box so look out for those. Until then, cue disclaimer!
(Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka, Danmachi for short, or Dark Souls. Both belong to their respective owners. I just own this story and nothing more. Please Enjoy.)
Now I really don't have much to say right now so I'll speak more on the other side. So let's stop talking and get to some Jolly Adventuring!
(Edit: With some new info from Danmachi's latest volume, I decided to edit the chapter a little. I didn't have to change too much, thank god, but see if you can spot the changes I made.)
Is It Too Much To Ask To Be Left Alone?
Grace 2: Regular Day(To Hell And Back)
*Clack-Clack-Clack*
"Mmm..." The sound of clacking metal woke Hestia from her sleep. Slowly, with droopy eyes, the goddess of hearth, home, and family rose from her bed and looked to see what was making all that noise.
"Oh, Hestia, you're awake."
With sleepy eyes, Hestia blinked at what could only be described as a knight, leaned over the table about to write something.
"I'm sorry if I woke you. You were still sleeping when I came down so I was gonna write a letter before I left. I'm heading out to buy some weapons before heading to the Dungeon. I'll be back later."
"...okay," Hestia said, still half-asleep. In her mind, she only registered two things in her mind.
One: There was a knight in her room. Two: Bell's voice was coming from the said knight. Her Bell was dressed up like a knight. Thus, her still tired mind came to a conclusion. She was still dreaming.
With that in mind, the goddess laid back down in her bed and muttered a quiet, "Have a good day."
With a *clack* sound, Bell nodded his head before taking his leave, his armor clanking as he moved up the stairs and out of the room.
*BANG!*
When the doors of the guild opened up with a big banging sound, almost everyone who was here yesterday dropped down in fear of the door being sent flying again. And they just got it fixed last night too. Lucky for them though, the doors did not fly off and when Eina looked up over her assigned desk, the people who were not here yesterday during the incident were looking at those that dropped down in confusion. Flustered and embarrassed, everyone that ducked stood back up and looked to see who had kicked the door.
*SLAM!*
This time everyone in the guild right now jumped with the slamming of boots hitting the floor sounded. Looking forward, everyone in the guild froze at who they saw at the door.
It was a man decked out head to toe in armor. He wore greaves and knee guards over brown boots with the ends of his black trousers tucked into said boots. His left arm was completely armored with a shoulder guard over the said shoulder. The upper part of his right arm was armored lightly when compared to the left arm while the rest of the forearm was covered by a light brown glove. The rest of his body was covered by a blue surcoat with golden accents that gave it a noble feel. Looking closely, some could make out a chainmail shirt under the surcoat, though none knew that behind the surcoat laid leather armor that covered the entirety of the man's upper body and was worn over the chainmail. Even then, a steel plate armor that covered the breast area was worn over the leather armor and was hidden by the surcoat as a multitude of belts held everything together as well as an assortment of pouches hung around the waist. Finally, to finish the armor set, a knight helmet was worn over the head, strapped securely so that it wouldn't spin or fall off, and hiding what the man looked like.
With bold and confident strides that made the person look quite arrogant, the armored man approached the counter of guild advisors and stopped right where Eina was stationed at.
Now Eina was not that surprised to see the armored man. Rare as it may be, a few adventurers sometimes covered themselves in armor like the man before her. It was even rarer for an adventurer to wear a helmet since one of the main reasons why someone became an adventurer was to earn fame and thus a person's face had to be seen in order to be well known and recognized should they gather enough fame.
Yet the man standing over her now, he was different. The aura he was projecting was if she were being honest, downright terrifying! Also, she wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw a red glowing eye coming from the small slit where the man's eyes would be at.
"C-Can I h-help you?" Now Eina has been a guild advisor for quite a good number of years so she liked to consider herself a mature professional. Yet under the intimidating gaze of the armored man before her, she couldn't help, but stutter like a newbie speaking to her first adventurer.
"Miss Eina, calm down." For the first time since arriving, the man spoke and out came a voice the half-elf was quite familiar with.
"That voice...Bell?" At Eina's question did the now identified Bell nod his helmeted head as the aura he had projected earlier had disappeared into thin air, like it was never there, leaving Eina more confused than she already was.
"Wha...?" Eina was at a loss for words as she looked from head to toe at Bell's new appearance. Finally, the half-elf managed to find her words again and spoke.
"Bell, what is all this?"
"It's armor." Bell bluntly said, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing ever, which it is, though that wasn't what the half-elf meant.
"I mean, where did you get all," She gestured to the armor Bell was donned in. "This?" Not counting the surcoat, a full set of armor was quite expensive. Bell was still a newbie adventurer so he shouldn't have the money to buy such an expensive-looking set.
"I found it," Bell answered immediately.
Eina looked at him in disbelief.
"You...found it?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"You found it. As in, you just found an entire set of armor lying around?"
He nodded again. "Yes."
At this point, everyone in the guild currently was looking at him in disbelief. Who would believe that an entire set of armor was just laying around on the ground and the boy just took it? Unknown to all, Bell was telling the truth, in more ways than one.
Feeling if she questioned the boy(teen? Gods that was still confusing.) any further, she would only end up with a headache, so she decided to try a different question.
"Why did you decide to show up in all of this?" Once again, she gestured to the armor Bell was donned in. Surely the boy(teen? You know what, she was gonna stick with calling Bell a boy. Despite his growth spurt, he was still 14, right?) knew that it would be difficult to get recognized if he covered his face?
"It'll provide me with better protection," Bell answered right away. "Weren't you the one who said to be cautious when in the Dungeon?"
Yes, she did say that to the boy. And certainly, the armor Bell was wearing looked quite sturdy and would thus provide a great amount of defense against the monsters of the Dungeon. Against Bell's logic, Eina dropped the subject of Bell's new armor and decided to move on.
"So, Bell, what can I help you with today?"
"First off," Reaching to one of his many pouches, Bell took out a small bag containing Valis and placed it on the counter. "This is for the equipment I bought from the guild."
When one started out as an adventurer for the first time, if one didn't have their own weapons and armor, new adventurers had the choice of purchasing some equipment from the guild. Depending on how much one was willing to pay, an adventurer could get weapons like a sword or a dagger, some armor, and a kit that included a few potions, a small first aid kit which came with a roll of bandages, and a grappling hook. They even have maps of Floors of the Dungeon though most people starting out hardly paid attention to those, being more inclined to explore the Dungeon blind. In Eina's opinion, it was kinda stupid, but then again, it's not like the Guild had a map of all the Dungeon Floors. Perhaps that's why most Adventurers never bought maps.
When Bell had first started out, he had brought some equipment from the guild, specifically the armor and dagger he had until yesterday. He didn't have enough money back then to buy the potions and kit, but it seems like he's gathered enough money to pay back the guild.
Checking the bag to see if it had the amount Bell owed to the guild, Eina nodded before handing it over to one of her fellow workers before turning back to Bell.
"Is there anything else?"
"Yes. Do you know where I can buy weapons?"
Eina was a bit surprised at the speed of Bell's question, but she quickly collected herself and answered her charge.
"Yes, you did mention that your dagger broke during your encounter with the minotaur. Well, if you're looking to go buy a new weapon, then you know the guild gives away weapons for new adventurers. However, if that doesn't please you, then I suggest heading to the fourth floor of Babel Tower. You can find weapon shops there."
Now that Eina thinks about it, despite Bell being an adventurer for half a month, there were still a great many things Bell did not know about Orario. Perhaps she should take some time off her work to help her charge get more accustomed to things around here?
"Fourth floor...got it." Bell nodded, turning his head to glance outside.
"Is there anything else you need?" Eina asked though she felt she's dealt with all of Bell's needs.
Turns out, her charge was not done yet.
"What is the cost of an Adventurer's kit and a map of the Dungeon?"
Eina blinked in surprise at Bell's question. Did he want both an adventurer's kit and a map?
'He certainly wants to be prepared before going into the Dungeon today.' Eina thought to herself, but couldn't help smiling at her charge. He was finally taking her words to heart! Perhaps his run-in with the minotaur had actually done some good.
"Is something wrong?" Bell asked, wondering why the half-elf was smiling all of a sudden.
"Oh, it's nothing," Eina said, trying to wipe away the smile on her face, but a grin managed to stay put on her face as she answered Bell's question. "An Adventurer's Kit is the same when you buy a weapon and armor from the Guild, 3000 Valis. If you want potions as well then that's an extra 2000 Valis, though I suggest you buy them from stores that specialize in making them. They're a lot more effective than the ones the guild gives out. As for maps of the Dungeon, that depends on how many floors you're planning to explore. For example, if you're planning on visiting the fifth floor again, which I highly advise against doing so until you're stronger, then we can give you a map of that floor. A single map of any Floor costs 1000 Valis each."
"Hmm..." Placing his index finger and thumb under his chin, Bell hums to himself, no doubt contemplating on whether he should buy the items. To be honest, Eina wanted Bell to have these items as it would no doubt help him in the long run. The fact alone that Bell had brought them up to see if he could purchase them filled the half-elf with great joy in seeing how her charge was taking steps to make sure he increased his chances of survival in the Dungeon.
"Does the guild happen to sell shields to newbies?" Bell suddenly asked.
"Shields?" Eina repeated and Bell nodded. "Hmm, I don't think so."
"I see. Then I'll take the sword the guild gives away to beginners."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Is it possible to just buy the first aid kit and the grappling hook?" Bell asked after some thinking.
Eina blinked at her charge again. Out of things such as the potions and maps, he wanted the first aid kit and the grappling hook? Seeing her confusion, Bell explained.
"If I buy a kit and a few maps, I won't have enough money to buy the sword. I'm not planning on going down far so I won't need maps for now. With this armor, I won't have the worry about sustaining any major injuries so I won't need potions. But injuries, no matter how small, can be lethal so I'll take the first aid kit. As for the grappling hook, there's a chance I might find myself falling off a cliff or edge so a grappling hook can be useful to save myself. Do you see what I mean?"
In the face of Bell's sound reasoning, Eina could only stare and nod silently. The boy made many good points that it left the half-elf stunned.
It took a moment for Eina to unfreeze herself. Going to the back, she came back with Bell's requested items.
"That'll be 2500 Valis." Both the first aid kit and grappling hook cost 500 Valis while the sword cost 1500 Valis. It was simple math.
Producing the right amount of money, Bell laid the coins down on the counter before taking his items. He placed the aid kit in one of the pouches while he placed the rope and hook securely to the side of his belt. After that, he grabbed the sword which came with a sheath and strapped it to his left waist side. Checking to make sure everything was in order and secure, Bell nodded in satisfaction before looking back up at Eina.
"Thank you, Eina. I'll come back for the maps another day."
Nodding silently again, Eina watched as Bell turned and took his leave, his stride both bold and confident, the complete opposite of how he used to be.
*CRASH!*
Eina winced when after a minute Bell left the guild, the doors he had previously kicked went and fell off their hinges. The half-elf felt her left eye twitch a little as she knew the cost of fixing the door again was gonna come out of her paycheck...again.
When he was young and naive, excitement was what filled him most of the time. He was excited when he first arrived in Orario. He was excited and grateful to Hestia when she took him into her Familia when so many others rejected him. He was excited when he first set out to the Dungeon for the first time. Yes, he was quite the excitable boy back then. But he was no longer that same boy.
Walking down the street, his steps were filled with confidence that his younger self lacked. The way he strides past other adventurers would make one think he was quite arrogant, but that was far from the truth. From underneath his helmet, Bell's eyes moved in different directions, surveying the area around him as he walked. His time in Lordran had made him distrustful of any area he was at, no matter how safe it looked. Call him paranoid and he'll take it as a compliment. After all, it was his paranoia that's kept him from not dying as much as he should have during his Undead journey.
"So why didn't you take Miss Eina's suggestion to go buy a weapon at Babel Tower?" In his mind, the voice that matched his own spoke. Bell had to wonder just how far gone was he that this voice was still around.
'She said the fourth floor.' Bell responded back mentally while looking up at the huge tower just a few blocks away. 'The number of stairs I would have to climb would take too much time. So I chose to instead buy the one the guild offered to rookies to save time.'
Strapped to his waist was the sword he had bought earlier from Eina. It was a one-handed short sword. It certainly looked better than his previous dagger, though he knew against tougher opponents, the blade would break. Meaning he'll have to watch what kind of monsters he fought once he got to the Dungeon.
"...!?"
Bell stopped walking, his right hand going towards his sword as his head snapped back up at Babel Tower. An unpleasant feeling had suddenly come over him. It wasn't killing intent, he would know after coming face to face with it multiple times. The only way to describe it was that a strong foe was breathing down him.
"Someone's watching us." The voice in his head came to the same conclusion he did.
Bell deduced the feeling was coming from Babel Tower. As his head rose up, the feeling got stronger the more he went up, meaning whoever was watching him was situated somewhere on the high upper levels of the tower—no, it was even higher than that. It was as if whoever was watching him was doing so from up top of the very heavens the gods came from. But as soon as Bell deduced this did the feeling of being watched subsided.
"Excuse me-?"
Faster than the blink of an eye, Bell turned around, drew his sword, and swung. Slicing through the air, the blade of Bell's sword stopped just before it could take the neck of a human girl.
She was about the same height as Bell-no, she was shorter by an inch or two. The girl has bluish-gray hair that she keeps tied with a small knot in a ponytail style. Her eyes are the same color as her hair and she has light peachy colored smooth skin. She wore a white blouse and a leaf-colored knee-length long skirt with a slightly long half apron around her waist. She also wore a pair of brown boots over black stockings.
The girl's hair blew from the air pressure of Bell's stopped swing. Her eyes were wide with surprise and her body was frozen stiff as her eyes nervously trailed down to the sword at her neck.
Realizing what he had just done, Bell snapped out of it and quickly moved his sword away from the girl.
"Forgive me, I-!" Before Bell could speak an apology, the sound of metal flying through the air was heard. Acting on instinct, Bell ducked and rolled back, dodging whatever was thrown at him(though he noticed that even if he didn't move it wouldn't have hit him, just almost) before rolling back to his feet and turned, taking a stance.
Legs spread apart, left arm raised up in front of him and sword pointed forward. The only thing missing was the fact that Bell wasn't holding a shield, making him look quite awkward. You could say the stance he was taking was iconic, though such a fact escaped Bell.
'I need to get a shield later.' Bell thought to himself, still feeling incomplete even with his armor on before looking to see what had been thrown at him.
It was a kitchen knife. Blinking, Bell turned to see where it had come from and found himself standing before a pub. It was a two-story building with the roof hinting at an attic at the top. The building was made out of brick and wood and a sign up above reading: Hostess of Fertility.
At the entrance of the tavern were a bunch of girls wearing the same uniform like the girl from before, ranging from other humans to cat people and even an elf. At the center stood a tall woman wearing the same outfit but in blue. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail and her arm was outstretched, informing Bell that she was the one who threw the knife earlier. The fact that she threw it in a way that it wouldn't have hit him had he not moved told Bell that the knife throw had been an act of intimidation, an attempt to scare him away.
Pulling her arm back, the woman, as well as the girls beside her all, glared at Bell while the elf checked up on the human girl he nearly decapitated before she too glared at him.
"I'm starting to think we should have tried harder in getting a shield."
Bell agreed with the voice in his head but did not panic. Yes, the girls and the woman glaring at him were strong, he wouldn't be fooled by their state of dress. But this also wasn't the first time he was outnumbered.
By now, adventurers and the locals had all since scattered and left the scene, leaving Bell with the angry women. Seeing as no one was going to speak, Bell decided to break the ice.
"May I help you?"
"Yes, you can." The woman spoke in a powerful voice. She was obviously the owner of this pub and the strongest one out of the girls here. "Mind telling me why you nearly tried to behead one of my employees, sir?"
Bell looked back to the girl he almost cut up before turning back to the woman.
"Forgive me, she just surprised me."
"And your first instinct was to decapitate her?"
"I don't like being snuck up on," Bell said in a way that should have explained everything, but it didn't as the woman continued to glare at him.
"Everyone, please, calm down." The girl Bell had nearly killed spoke up finally, trying to calm everyone down before approaching the Undead. While still nervous, she presented to him a Magic Stone.
"I'm sorry for startling you. I was just trying to get your attention because you dropped this."
'A Magic Stone?' Bell raised an eyebrow from under his helmet. He was certain he traded all his Magic Stones yesterday. The possibility of him dropping anything was low for he made sure all his equipment was secure on him.
From behind his helmet, Bell narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the girl.
"Hey, no need to glare at her like that. She's basically giving us free money so why not take it?"
Bell wanted to retort, but the voice made a good point, or was this just his psyche telling him to calm down? Well, whatever. Relaxing his stance and sheathing his sword, he accepted the magic stone from the girl.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for reacting as I did earlier."
"Oh no! It's okay, I'm the one who snuck up on you and all." The girl said, bowing in apology as the other women finally loosened up as well, but still kept a critical eye on the Undead.
After exchanging apologies, the girl began to look at Bell from top to bottom, no doubt looking at the armor Bell was donned in. He didn't call her out for staring. Eina was the same when he visited the guild earlier.
"Are you an Adventurer?" She asks, seemingly uncertain.
"I am," Bell responded dispassionately.
"Are you going to the Dungeon so early?" She asks. It was just a bit past 5 so it was, like she said, quite early in the morning.
"The sooner, the better," Bell said. The sooner he went into the Dungeon, the sooner he could start making money and searching for Chester.
"Did you even have breakfast yet?"
"I did not," Bell responded back quickly. He was an Undead, he had no need for food. Plus, his taste buds were destroyed so there wasn't any point in eating food at all.
"Eh? That's no good. Don't you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"
"I'll be fine."
The girl hums to herself, staring doubtfully at Bell when her eyes suddenly shine with an idea before she ran into the pub, disappearing inside. Confused, Bell looks at the other women who all shrugged at him. Shortly after, the girl returned, cradling a small basket where Bell could make out bread and cheese in it. Going up to him, she offered him the basket.
"If you don't mind, please take this. Since the tavern isn't open yet, it's not a regular meal, though..."
"I can't take this," Bell said almost immediately, surprising the girl as well as the other workers. "This is your breakfast, isn't it? I can't accept such a thing."
Bell had always been awkward when receiving acts of kindness. Even after his experience in Lordran, this little part of him still stuck around. It was simply his nature to do kindness than receive kindness.
The girl continued to look at Bell in surprise before a smile made its way to her face that bordered on teasing.
"Mr. Adventurer, are you saying you're refusing my act of kindness?"
"If I may be blunt, yes," Bell said, once again surprising the girl as well as her fellow workers. It's like they had expected Bell to act differently, but this was how he was, even before he became an Undead. Although if he was still his previous self, he'd probably be flustered under the girl's smile. She's quite the beautiful looking girl, he'll admit to that.
Blinking in surprise once again, the girl recollected herself, smiled cutely, and practically shoved the basket into Bell's hands.
"Please Mr. Adventuer, I insist! If I were to ignore a hungry person, I'd feel guilty."
'But I don't need it!' Bell practically screamed in his mind. If he still had his sense of taste, he might have taken the basket, but since he was without it, he had no reason to take the basket.
Seeing that the armored Bell was still not taking the basket, she tried a different approach.
"Then how's this then? A coincidence of interests. I'll have a little loss, but you'll fill your stomach. In exchange for that, could you come to this pub where I work tonight for dinner?"
Bell raised an eyebrow from under his helmet, processing the sentence the girl had spoke before it finally clicked. Add in the fact of how she was acting and smiling...
"You're quite the cunning one, aren't you?" Bell commented as he took the basket from the girl.
"I have absolutely no idea what you mean, Mr. Adventurer." The girl said, smiling innocently.
An amused smile made its way to Bell's face though no one could see it of course due to his helmet.
"Shall I see you tonight, Mr. Adventurer?"
"Maybe." Was what Bell said, turning to take his leave, but stopped and turned back to the girl. "Bell Cranel."
"Hm?"
"My name. May I get yours?"
Smiling again, the girl finally introduced herself.
"My name is Syr Flova."
"Well then Syr, perhaps I'll see you tonight."
"Maybe. Safe adventures Bell." She waved goodbye as Bell turned and continued on his way to the Dungeon.
'It's been who knows how long since I became an Adventurer.' Bell thought to himself as he carried the basket of bread and cheese. He didn't want to waste the food, but him eating it would be the same as wasting too. He was caught in a loop. But he'll deal with it later.
He didn't know how many years it's been since he set out to go into the Dungeon. Years? Centuries? Time was convoluted in Lordran so Bell really had no idea. Perhaps he should buy a watch later? From what he remembered so far and the brief time he was in there yesterday, there was absolutely no way to tell time when in the Dungeon. Of course, such a thing never bothered Bell thanks to his experience in Lordran, but things were different now. He was back home and with a goddess waiting for him. His feelings towards gods were not positive thanks to, once again, his experience as an Undead. But Hestia was different. She was generally kind, that he knew. Bell valued that because there was very little of that back in Lordran.
'Maybe I'll give these to Hestia.' Bell thought, looking at the basket in his hands before shrugging. He'll think about it later. Right now, he had a Dungeon to explore and a masked bastard to catch.
It was well into the night and the pub known as the Hostess of Fertility was packed and busy. Questionable naming aside, the pub was full of life and cheer. Various adventurers filled the tables, eating and drinking to their heart's content as well as flirting with the many waitresses that ran around serving food and drinks. The decorations and style of the interior of the building gave the place a homey feeling though it was still a bar.
Syr, like many of her fellow workers, was working her butt off. With two platters in both her hands, she delivered an adventurer's order of ale and fish before moving quickly to another table to set down two mugs of ale for another pair of adventurers. Once done, she made her way back to the counter where another order was ready and waiting to be taken. Her friend Ryuu got to the platter first and took it away before another order took the spot and she took them.
Looking around, it was only adventurers that filled the tables of the pub. Due to how close it was from here to Babel Tower, it made the perfect place for adventurers to visit after a long day in the Dungeon. This was one of many things Syr liked about her job, the adventurers that came here always had interesting stories to tell, their experience in the Dungeon. She wasn't an adventurer herself so the stories Adventurers told when coming here were just that more interesting.
And speaking of Adventurers...
*BAM!*
Syr nearly dropped the plate she was holding as she jumped in surprise at the sound of the building door opening with a loud bang like someone had kicked it open. Turning, Syr looked to see who had arrived and she, along with everyone else in the building, froze.
It was that armored adventurer Syr had met this morning, Bell Cranel if she remembered correctly. He still wore that same armor from before, helmet and all, but it was noticeably less shiny than it was this morning, even when under the lights. Also, the faint smell of blood was noticeable if one got close enough, yet there wasn't a single injury on him. Syr later deduced this smell to come from slain monsters which meant Bell must have fought a lot to still have the scent on him.
"I'm here," Bell said in that almost dispassionate tone of his. Syr wasn't a stranger to this tone of voice, though Bell's tone was interesting to her. If she had to take a guess as to what set it apart from others, it sounded like Bell was tired.
Unfreezing herself, Syr quickly made her way over to her latest interest.
"Bell!" She called out to him, getting the armored adventurer's attention.
"Syr."
"Welcome! I'm glad you could make it! I almost thought you wouldn't come tonight." Syr said with a smile that would have sent some men's heart aflutter. Bell, on the other hand, didn't seem affected in the slightest as that helmet of his hid away his face and thus hiding his expressions.
"Well, I didn't originally plan on coming here, but the goddess I serve under told me that I had to eat alone for tonight due to being invited to a party. Since I had nothing better to do, I thought I might as well come here."
So he was just here because he felt like it. Syr mentally shrugged. He was here and that's all that mattered.
"Well, I'm glad you came nonetheless," Syr said before turning around and shouting. "We've got a customer!"
After shouting that out did she then lead Bell over to a seat at the counter, seating him right at the corner of the bar that turned at a right angle, forming an L. Located right at the corner of the bar, if Bell were to lean back, his back could have touched the wall behind him. Because the seat was right at the corner, there was no other seat next to him and thus no one would come over to sit next to him. Syr had arranged this spot for Bell should he ever come and well, as luck would have it, he did. She had personally picked out this seat for him so he didn't have to worry about the gazes of other people and could focus on enjoying his meal. Though because of the armor, he was already attracting some stares.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Knight." The minute Bell was seated did her boss, Mama Mia, come up from the other side of the counter. At her presence did Syr get back to work, though she kept a close distance to hear what her boss and Bell were saying.
"So, you actually decided to come."
Bell shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't have anything else to do at the moment." He then looked around, giving the place an inspecting look. "This place looks nice."
"Why thank you. This building was given to me by a friend, but I did most of the work in setting up this place until it was nice and ready for business." Mia said, giving the place she owned a look of pride before turning back to Bell and waved a hand in front of her face. "I can't say the same about you though. I can still smell blood on you. Rough day in the Dungeon?"
"I killed a lot of monsters," Bell responded with that dispassionate tone of his. It was like he was making a report.
"Really now? Then I hope you made a lot of money cause I'm gonna keep the food coming your way."
"Please don't, my Familia is quite poor," Bell responded immediately, making Syr who had been listening to giggle.
Despite Bell's refusal, Mama Mia went and slammed down a big plate of pasta. Sighing, Bell placed a hand on his helmet, catching Syr's attention as she was finally going to see what Bell looked like. But to her displeasure, Bell simply lifted the bottom portion of his helmet up, exposing his mouth to the world as the portion he lifted up hid his eyes from sight thus preventing Syr from seeing what he looked like.
"Aren't you gonna take off your helmet?" Mama Mia asked, unknowingly speaking out Syr's thoughts.
"No," Bell responded quickly.
"And why not?"
"Safety reasons." He said. "One can never be too careful of their surroundings."
"Aren't you just being paranoid?"
"My teacher once said to me: Better paranoid than naive and ignorant."
"Well, I guess I can see the logic in that." Mama Mia said before dropping the subject, focusing back on other orders.
So it seems Bell was quite the cautious person, Syr noted. That might explain the way he acted this morning. One had to be quite paranoid as to draw a sword when startled. And from how fast he swung, Bell must have been quite the strong individual which confused Syr. If he was strong, then surely he must be kinda famous, yet as she looked at the adventurers around her, she only saw looks that told her that this was the first time they had seen someone like Bell.
Wiping some sweat from her brow, Syr looked around to see what the condition of the place was. Seeing as it was all normal, Syr decided to make her way back to Bell, pulling up a stool and sat to the left of him. He was halfway through his pasta and at some point, he had ordered some ale.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Syr asked.
Taking a moment to chew and swallow, Bell spoke.
"Well, the food is good, and the service here is better than expected. So, yes, I am enjoying myself a little. But aren't you supposed to be working right now?"
Syr waved off the question like it didn't matter. "The kitchen is a little busy, but the other waitresses have everything covered. Things also seem to be slowing down a little, so I have some free time."
'Can I?' Syr shot her boss a pleading gaze. Mia looked hesitant, probably still miffed about the morning incident. Syr had long since let it go, but the others were still hung up on it if the side glances the girls were giving Bell told her anything. But with a reluctant nod, Mia gave Syr permission, but still kept a close eye on Bell.
"Thank you."
"Hm?" Syr turned to the armored adventurer who had suddenly spoken up.
"For this food this morning." Oh, that's what he meant.
She smiled. "No, no. You coming here was worth my empty stomach."
"Don't you mean it was worth forcing me here to spend money?" Bell asked the girl knowingly. The pasta he was eating was quite expensive, costing 300 Valis.
Syr simply giggles at Bell's question and bows her head a little. "Sorry."
From under his helmet, Bell let out a bemused grunt, probably unsure if Syr was honest in her apology, but decided to let it go in favor of chatting.
"So, what can you tell me about this place?"
"Well, I'm sure you've figured it out already, but Mama Mia is the owner of this pub. She actually used to be an adventurer herself and got permission from her god to retire before opening up shop. All the employees here are women, and Mama Mia was willing to accept those with questionable backgrounds. She's very well-loved and respected because of that."
"Is it the same for you?" Bell asked.
Syr shakes her head and responds with, "I work here because of superb working conditions. We're very popular with adventurers because of where we're located so every day is very busy. The pay is also good because of this."
Bell suddenly stops eating and stares silently at the girl. It grew to the point that Syr became nervous under the armored adventurer's gaze, and it looked like Mia and the others were getting ready to act if something happened until he finally spoke.
"Too much greed will one day lead to your downfall."
Syr blinks confusingly at how serious Bell sounded until she interpreted his words and punched his arm, something she soon regretted as she was now nursing her hand due to Bell's armor being tougher than she expected
"It's not like that," Syr said while nursing her hand. "There are a lot of people gathered here, and where people gather, I can learn a lot of different things."
Moving her eyes to glance around, Syr could see a great many things happening around the pub. There was a dwarf making a pass on some of the waitresses, people smacking their lips at Ryuu, a pair of Beast Humans moving their tables together to talk easier with each other, and in the back, two men were currently arm wrestling. All in all, it was very lively. Everybody was very passionate, lifting up their mugs with red flushed faces. It was a common sight Syr has grown used to.
'Compared to this guy though...' Syr turned back to Bell. At some point, he had ordered a second mug of ale. Despite being unable to see his face, she guessed Bell to be quite young from the sound of his voice when it wasn't echoing inside his helmet, probably around her age. Syr drank little since she was still young, but from the looks of it, Bell wasn't even drunk yet!
"Anyway, it's like this. Getting to know strangers has become my interest and hobby. How should I say it...it makes my heart race."
To hear all the stories and experiences of the adventurers that came through here...it made her excited.
"...I think I understand how you feel." Bell suddenly said, speaking in a nostalgic tone. This, of course, caught Syr's attention until a group of people walked in and there was suddenly some commotion.
Turning to see what the fuss was about, she saw a familiar group of Adventurers that consisted of a Pallum, two Amazons, a werewolf, an elf, a dwarf, and many more following them. Of course, the main attraction was one human female.
Blond hair that shined like gold with matching colored eyes, a slender body most woman would die for, and over it, she wore a white and black battle cloth, black arm covers, and long blue boots. On top of her head sat a head guard, probably a part of her armor she did not completely take off.
"Look, it's Loki Familia..."
"The 'giant slayer' Familia..."
"Isn't this all their top members?"
"Even the Sword Princess is with them..."
As all the other people whispered to one another, one of the waitresses welcomed the large group and brought them over to a large space that was directly diagonal from where Syr and Bell were at. No doubt, they had reserved that spot early on.
"What's all the commotion about?" Bell suddenly asked, looking over her shoulder to see what was causing all the commotion.
"It's Loki Familia," Syr answered.
"So those are the people of the Loki Familia." Bell mused as he looked over at the large group, no doubt curious. Syr couldn't blame him. Loki Familia was one of the top Familia here in Orario, rivaled only by the Freya Familia.
"They're regulars here at our pub. Their goddess loves this place." Syr explained before pointing over to the group. "In fact, that redhead over there is her, believe it or not."
Dressed in short jeans and a shirt that showed off her belly button, the goddess known as Loki gave off a tomboyish appearance. Her red hair was tied in a ponytail by a black bow and her red eyes were closed, giving off a fox-like appearance, making one think she was quite the trickster, fitting considering what she is.
"Alright, good work on the dungeon expedition! Today's a feast so let's get this party started! Cheers!"
"Cheers!" And just like that, food was eaten, drinks were flowing, and voices began to blend into the air, becoming one with everyone in the pub.
"Captain, I'll help you refill!"
"Making me drink so fast, just what are you planning to do to me after I'm drunk?"
"The dishes here are as tasty as always! Gareth! Let's compare our drinking compacity!"
"Hmph! Sure, watch me cause you to drink until you fall."
"Incidentally speaking, whoever wins will earn the right to enjoy Rivera's boobs!"
"Then I will also participate!"
"I will also participate!"
"Me too!"
"Me as well!"
"They're quite the noisy bunch," Bell commented as he watched the group get even rowdier.
"I guess you can say that." Syr laughed a little at that until she noticed that Bell's gaze lingered on the Loki Familia. A devilish smirk appears on Syr's lips as she leans in close to the Undead and says, "See something you like?"
That snapped him back to reality. "Hm?"
"Is it the Sword Princess?" Syr asks, gesturing to the mentioned female. "She's quite a beauty, even I'll admit that. But I'd be careful if I were you, she's got quite the fanbase."
"Sword Princess?" Bell tilts his head in confusion, catching Syr off guard.
"The Sword Princess." Again, Bell looks at her confused. "You know, Ais Wallenstein."
"Who?" Okay, now Syr was worried.
"The blond in white over there." Syr had to point to make sure he didn't get confused.
"Her? Hm, well I will admit she's quite the beauty, but I wasn't looking at her specifically."
"Then what were you looking at?" Syr asked, honestly curious. He just called the Sword Princess beautiful, a common comment amongst people, yet he didn't seem infatuated, unlike many others from those that admired the blond swordswoman.
"I was just looking at the Loki Familia in general," Bell answered as he adopted a nostalgic look despite his face being half-covered. "Seeing them like that simply reminded me of a time I spent with my friends."
"Oh? Mind telling me more?" Syr asked curiosity back in full swing.
Bell opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud voice coming from Loki Familia.
"By the way, Ais! Tell us what happened to you the other day!"
Looking to see who was being so loud, the culprit was a werewolf. He has gray colored hair, along with amber eyes, as well as a sleek tail coming out from an opening in his pants. He has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face and a muscular physique. His appearance was quite handsome and gave off an air that would make others think he was cool, though it was ruined by the redness on his face, telling Syr that he was currently drunk.
"You know, about that minotaur that escaped when we were returning! That last one that you killed on the fifth floor! I'm talking about that ghost boy!"
"Minotaur, are you referring to the group that escaped on the 17th floor and was killed?" One of the two Amazoness Syr had seen earlier asked.
"Yeah, exactly! They miraculously escaped to the Upper Floors and we had to frantically chase after them! At that time, guess who they ran into? Some weak little rookie! I laughed my ass off! He was running like a scared rabbit!"
"Hm? So? What happened to that Adventurer? Did you save him?"
"At the last moment, Ais cut it down. But when she looked to see if that brat was okay, he was already gone!" The werewolf laughed. "He just took off like a racehorse, I've never seen someone run so fast!"
The table then burst out laughing and the people that were listening in were either joining them or were trying not to laugh. As for Syr and Bell, they were one of the few who wasn't laughing.
"I wonder who it is they're talking about?" Bell asks, taking a sip of his ale.
"Who knows?" Syr shrugs. "Though I can't help, but feel bad about who they're talking about."
"It's none of our concern who they choose to insult, but it is in bad taste," Bell said before returning back to his pasta. Syr turned back as well to continue their talk.
"So, about those friends of yours."
As of right now, Ais wanted Bete to just shut up right now.
She knew what Bete was talking about. They were returning from their expedition from the Lower Floors, having fought tooth and nail against some strange monsters. Like Bete had mentioned, they had run into a mob of Minotaurs, but they weren't a problem for the likes of them. The problem occurred when a few broke off and escaped to the Upper Floors. Chasing after them, Ais had run into one chasing after a boy her age. Quickly acting, she killed the Minotaur, but when she checked to see if the boy she saved was okay, he was already gone, leaving her quite stunned as to how fast the person ran. She didn't get a good look at the person, only making out white hair and red eyes. He was also unusually fast, though she chalked it up to being fueled by terror.
If she ever runs into that same boy, she had to apologize to him. It was the right thing to do, right?
"But man, it's been a while since I've seen such a worthless person, just thinking about him pisses me off. He was a boy, yet he ran like a pussy!"
At this point, Ais had to shoot Rivera a pleading look and the high elf stepped in.
"That's quite enough. You should shut your noisy mouth, Bete. Letting the Minotaur escape was our fault. Forgetting about the fact that we did not apologize to the boy that got involved, we also have no right to use this as a topic for food and drinks. How shameless." That last one was directed to all who laughed earlier and from how they all flinched, her message got across.
"Yeah, yeah, as expected from the proud elf, what great manners. But what's the use of defending that worthless case? What's wrong with calling trash 'trash?"
"Oi, I think that's enough. You're ruining the celebration." Loki said, glancing over. It seems even her goddess was getting uncomfortable.
"Ais, what do you think?" Oh great, now she was getting dragged in. "What are your thoughts on that pathetic brat?"
'He's not that much younger than you.' Ais thought to herself but gave her answer nonetheless. "Under such circumstances, I believe he couldn't help it."
"Playing good girl? Alright then, let me rephrase the question. Who would you rather mate with? Me or that brat?"
"Bete, do you even know what you're saying?" Her captain, Finn, stepped in, but Bete pushed him back.
"Okay Ais, decide quickly. As a female, who would you wag your tail? Which one would you copulate with?"
With cold eyes, Ais answered, "I wouldn't pick you even if you were the last person on the mortal world, Bete."
A cold and brutal rejection. People around her couldn't help, but shiver.
"How disgusting," Rivera commented.
"Shut it you old hag!" Bete exclaimed before turning back to Ais. "Alright then, what of that brat was to confess that he loves you, would you accept?"
Impossible, Ais immediately thought. She didn't have time for things such as love. She was too busy trying to get stronger. She did not have time to care about others. Such a thing, she had no right.
"Ha! As expected, you can't accept it, right? A brat, who just has feelings but no strength, does not have the qualifications to stand next to you. You of all people can't accept it. That trash does not suit you, Ais Wallenstein!"
*SPLASH!*
"What the fu-!?"
"Ah! Sorry."
Ais blinks in surprise. As if perfectly timed, someone had bumped into one of the waitresses, making her drop a full mug of ale all over Bete. Looking to see who had caused the accident, Ais blinks in surprise again when the person was garbed in full armor. He even wore a helmet that hid his entire head. His armor was unique looking, though it lacked a shine to it as if the person had half-heartedly cleaned it. This seemed to be the case as Ais could faintly smell blood from the armor.
"You bastard!" Angry, Bete stood up and grabbed the man by his surcoat. Ais noticed a small *clang* sound when Bete went to grab him, telling her that the person was wearing protective armor under the surcoat.
"Forgive me, it was an accident." The voice that came from the man was surprisingly young. If Ais had to guess, the person must be around her age.
"You call this an accident!" Bete gestured to his went clothes. As if he didn't stink of alcohol already. In fact, just how many cups did Bete drink? He seemed to have gotten drunk way too quickly.
"But it was. I was just trying to leave when I bumped into the waitress. I meant you no harm." The man explains as he tries to pull away from Bete, but the drunken werewolf wasn't done with the man.
"Hey! I'm done talking!" In his drunken anger, Bete threw a punch, his fist flying fast as lightning.
*POW!*
It all happened in the blink of an eye. A shadow flew over Ais's head and there was a crash. Blinking, Ais saw that the armored man was fine, but Bete was nowhere to be seen. Blinking again, Ais noticed that the man's fist was outstretched from a punch. Blinking one more time, Ais whips her head around as did the others of her Familia and see Bete slumped against a broken wall and table with bits of fallen food and drinks on him.
It had all happened so fast. Despite how fast Bete threw his punch, the armored man raised his right arm and parried the blow. Then, in that same instant, with Bete wide open, the man lifted up his armored left hand, balled it into a fist, and punched Bete square in the face, sending the werewolf flying back.
Other members of her Familia went over to Bete to see if he was alright. Bete pushed them away and stood back up, looking pissed and ready to fight. Gareth and Finn both stood up to go stop the werewolf...
*THOOM!*
That's when it happened. A pressure came over the entire pub, forcing almost everyone to their knees. A few even fell unconscious. Ais and those that were on the same level as her or higher in the case of Finn, Rivera, and Gareth, stood their ground, but even they were shaking a little.
'What is this!?' Ais thought as she turned to the source.
It was the armored man, an Adventurer she guessed for no normal man could give off such a feeling. Even then, she wasn't sure if the armored man was indeed a man. From under his helmet, she could make out a glowing red eye that seems to stare straight into her soul. But that wasn't the scary part.
Looming over the armored Adventurer was a giant of a man, as big as the entire pub room. It too was covered head to toe in armor, though the armor took on a more wolfish design. It had a dark blue tassel coming from the back of the helm. A tattered blue cape hung over the right shoulder and was wrapped around the neck and lower half of the helm as said helm cast a shadow over the wearer's face, making it impossible to see what the person looked like. The rest of the armor was of impressive-looking steel, yet the entire armor appeared damage. No, the correct word would be corrosive. The tattered chainmail skirt, as well as the cape and tassel, everything about the suit of armor appeared corrupted.
It's left arm seem broken and disconnected as it just dangled there, yet it didn't seem to bother the giant man. Carried over his shoulder with his right hand, the giant of a man carried a great sword about the size of him, and just like his armor, it appeared damaged and corrupted.
Looming over the armored adventurer, the giant knight let out a low wolfish growl, sending chills down the spines of everyone in the pub. Instinctively, Ais went for her weapon but grasped nothing but air. She forgot that she left it for repairs.
Around her, every other Adventurer was slowly moving towards their weapons. Even the waitress and the owner of the pub looked on edge, ready to attack at a moment's notice.
But when Ais blinked, the giant knight, as well as the pressure from before, were all gone, leaving only the armored Adventurer as the previous glowing red eye Ais had seen before was gone. Had she imagined that?
Turning to Mia, the man bowed in apology before turning around and took his leave.
"What...the fuck...was that?" Loki pretty much spoke what everyone was thinking right now.
Shaking herself out of her stupor, Ais got up and ran to the door. Outside, she looked around, but the armored Adventurer was already gone.
'Who was that?' Ais thought. For the entire night, this same thought plagued the Sword Princess until the next day.
"Well, that's certainly one way to end a night."
Bell lets out a sarcastic scoff at the voice in his head as he made his way back to the church. After speaking with Syr for a bit, Bell had finished his food and decided to turn in for the night, not that he could mind you. He didn't need sleep, but if Hestia came back when he was still awake, she would get suspicious as to how he wasn't even tired.
'So much for keeping a low profile.' Bell thought to himself. No doubt his little stunt would attract attention, the one thing he didn't want. But he couldn't help it. His experience in Lordran had trained him to react to any kind of attack sent towards him. When that werewolf had thrown that punch, his body moved on instinct.
Bell sighs in exasperation. Perhaps he should lay low and not go to the Dungeon for a while? But what would that accomplish? He could be using his time to make money instead of trying to hide. Lying to his Dungeon advisor, Bell had gone down as far as the seventh floor in order to earn more money than he would usually be able to get if he stuck around the second or third floors. The monsters he faced there were no match for him, but he didn't try and go down further. He was strong, but he wasn't reckless. His many teachers in Lordran had made sure most of his recklessness had been beaten out of him.
'Guess I can do nothing until that incident blows over. Now, how far should I go tomorrow?' As Bell walked home, he made plans in his head as to how far he'll go down to the Dungeon tomorrow? The Eighth Floor? Perhaps the Tenth if he were to push it? He needed no sleep so he had all night to think about it.
(Meanwhile, in the Dungeon)
Hellhounds. Monster dogs that breathed fire and were found on the 13-17th floor. A pack of ten surrounded her, but she did not cower. She had come too far, sacrificed so much, lost so much just to make it this far. She will not die here.
The Hellhounds all eyed her hungrily. No doubt, they were after the blood that flowed through her veins. It's always been like this, since days long ago. Monsters, humans, it didn't matter. They were all after her kind's blood. To them, it was a prize, something to make them stronger. Well, they wouldn't get it, not while she still breathed.
She was covered in wounds, blood dripped down from her fur. Nevertheless, she tightened her teeth on the sword she had taken from a corpse and growled, staring down the Hellhounds and daring them to come at her.
And come they did. Half of them pounced at her while the other half breathed fire at her. Howling, the cry of a wolf echoed through the Dungeon as a wolf fought for her survival.
And there you have it. The second chapter to this story. I'm glad to see people have already taken a liking to it which makes me glad. I'll be honest and say I was nervous when publishing this story as Dark Souls and Danmachi are both popular so I didn't want to ruin anything and make people mad. Of course, to be fair, I showed very little people last time.
Now I'm sure you've people have seen how I'm sort of shifting POV with some characters. I never mentioned this last chapter, but I had two things that inspired me to make this story.
The first was Danmachi and Bloodborne crossover stories. Stories like "Paleblood" and "Rabbit of the Moon" I greatly enjoyed and I wanted to do something similar, but I decided not to do a Bloodborne crossover and instead chose to do Dark Souls as there were more similar elements that I think will make this story even more interesting.
The second is the story called Goblin Slayer. For those that know it, I bet you already saw some elements I put in this chapter. Those that don't know it, go and check it out. If you like dark fantasy then stuff like Berserk, it's a good read. It's an LN which later got a manga and anime adaptation with the latter getting a movie soon. I suggest starting with the LN first and then the manga which I believe shows off a better visual experience than the anime does.
Anyways, I'm rambling so let me get back to the topic. Basically, I'm writing this like in the Goblin Slayer LN where different characters provide a different experience in how they view this new Bell. Fighting isn't a big part of this story right now. Since Bell's so powerful, I won't show off many fight scenes unless I think there's one that might give Bell a challenge or it plays a part in the story. What I'm going for here is mostly interaction where people see this strange man in armor doing things most Adventurers wouldn't do. Of course, when fight scenes do get some love, you better well know it's gonna be epic. But for now, it's just people interacting with other people. And of course, we have that mystery character in the end. For fans of Dark Souls, you probably already know who it is and well, I'm gonna say you're both right and wrong. You'll find out soon enough when I post the next chapter. Until then, this is Ashbel Longhart here, signing out. May the sun bless you all.