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Thanks to Rayx2108 for being the beta reader and quality supervisor of this chapter.
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On one of Orario's main avenues, a violent scene disrupted the festive atmosphere of the Monster Feria.
"This thing won't die!" Tiona snarled, swinging her fists, spamming into the fleshy body of the creature. Viola a carnivorous flower-like monstrosity whose jaws drooled an acidic substance. The blows sent up a cloud of spores, but failed to deal any significant damage to it's thick hide.
"Tiona, I told you hitting this thing won't work!" Tione yelled from the rear, her voice flustered and filled with frustration.
"Yes, yes, you said it!" Tiona bellowed leaping back to avoid a barrage of vines that crashed to the ground where she had been standing a second before.
Tione and weaved through the lashing vines with precision as she tried to find an opening between the monster's hard petals. "One of these flowers almost ate a person a while ago. Let's finish this quickly!"
The Viola roared with a sharp unpleasant sound, suddenly opening its petals and releasing a cloud of poisonous spores.
"Back!" shouted Ais, who hadn't said anything until that moment. The young swordswoman moved with inhuman speed, her longsword slicing through the air in a precise arc that dispersed part of the cloud as she stood at the front of the group.
Her golden eyes focused on the creature's center, barely visible among the petals and slime. "...There it is."
"Can you reach it?" Lefiya asked, already channeling magic into her staff.
Ais nodded without taking her eyes off her target. "Get ready. I just need a chance."
Tione appeared from the left flank, breaking a vine that sought to trap Lefiya.
"We've got you covered. Make it quick."
"Understood!!" Lefiya shouted, stepping back as her voice began to chant the spell.
"Unleashed beam of light, bow of the sacred tree. You are an expert with the bow. Shoot, fairy sniper. Penetrate, arrow of absolute precision. Arcs Ray!!"
The white beam tore through the air and exploded against the body of the Viola, causing it to scream in agony and open its petals even wider. The core was exposed.
Without wasting a moment, Ais jumped.
Her longsword flashed like a spear of light, and with a single downward slash, she cut through the core with precision.
The Viola squealed one last time before collapsing like a withered flower, its deformed body falling to the ground in an inert mass.
The four warriors stood still for a moment, breathing heavily.
"That was tougher than I expected," Tiona said, wiping her fists with a rag she pulled from her belt.
"What was a monster doing in the middle of the city?" Tione muttered, frowning.
"It doesn't look like an accident," Ais said in a calm but firm tone as she listened to the bustle from other parts of the city.
Lefiya swallowed.
"Do you think someone… let them go?"
The three oldest exchanged silent glances.
"…Maybe," Tione finally said, "and that means this is just the beginning."
Ais looked up at the sky again, her expression serious. Something was coming. She felt it in the air.
Just as the group was beginning to recover from the fight with the Viola a shudder ran through the ground beneath their feet. A dry crash, like lightning without thunder resounded throughout Orario, turning the cries of the fair into a sea of alarm.
"What was that?" Lefiya muttered, looking in the direction of the Ganesha Coliseum, where the commotion was coming from.
Then they saw it.
Soaring through the skies at blinding speed, a creature descended wreathed in fire it wasn't an ordinary monster. It didn't have bat-like wings or the thick scales of traditional dragons. The creature was a strange mix between bird and dragon, its plumage burning like red-hot coals, and each flap of its wings left a glowing trail that disintegrated in the air like flames devouring oxygen.
In the blink of an eye, a column of fire descended from the sky, disintegrating a gigantic Silverback the monster's body did not burn, it simply ceased to exist.
Tiona blinked, mouth agape.
"What the heck was that…?"
"DRAGON!" someone shouted in the crowd. "A dragon appeared in the city!" Ais said nothing. Her expression froze.
The fire burning in the sky seemed to be reflected in his golden eyes, but not with wonder... but with fury.
Her jaw tightened, her fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword.
"Oi?" Tione asked, noticing the change. "Are you okay?"
Ais didn't reply. She just murmured softly, with a calmness that chilled the blood.
"Dragon…"
Tiona and Lefiya looked at her, somewhat worried. They knew that voice. They knew that look.
Ais Wallenstein hated monsters. But her hatred of dragons was something she didn't even try to hide.
The creature in the sky paused for a moment, its gaze inexplicably focused on some point in the city… and then, with a final roar that seemed a mixture of singing and thunder, it flew away toward the horizon.
The air still vibrated with the echo of the roar and the fiery explosion. The street was in chaos, but the Loki Familia group remained motionless, staring at the open sky where seconds before a fiery creature had streaked across like a shooting star.
Tiona frowned, still processing what she saw.
"That was a... dragon? But it didn't look like an ordinary one, did it?" Tione was alert, but with her eyes on Ais.
"Oh…?"
The swordswoman didn't respond. She stood rigid, completely still, her gaze fixed on the sky as if she could pierce it. Her face, once hard with fury, had softened. Her lips parted slightly, and something inside her stirred... something she hadn't felt in years.
It wasn't just a monster. It wasn't just a dragon.
It was... something else.
A shudder ran through his chest. Something warm, familiar. The essence that floated through the air in the wake of fire wasn't just magical... it was spiritual. It wasn't evil, or murderous hunger. It was... presence. A presence so powerful it felt familiar.
Memories hit her like gusts: a soft voice, an enveloping warmth, and an ancient melody she only heard in dreams.
Ais put a hand to her chest.
"Mom…?" she whispered.
The other girls looked at her, bewildered.
Tiona approached cautiously. "What did you say…?"
Ais didn't respond. Her eyes remained fixed on the sky, but no longer with hatred... but with something between nostalgia and confusion. She had recognized a spark. An echo of the being who had once protected her with unconditional love.
And now... that same feeling came from the creature everyone called a dragon.
Ais pressed her lips together, her thoughts swirling like a directionless storm. Something in her chest pounded, as if her body was trying to understand what her mind couldn't. The sensation that creature left in the air… was warm, enveloping, yet scorching at the same time. Chaotic.
"Why do you feel this way?"
She remembered the soft arms that had once enveloped her when she was just a child. The voice that whispered songs she no longer understood, but that still echoed in her soul. Her mother, the great spirit. Her essence was calm, pure harmony, like the breeze in an ancient forest.
But what I had felt today…
That was the same, but distorted.
The warmth wasn't a hug: it was a blaze. The voice wasn't a whisper: it was a bone-shaking roar.
"How can it feel the same… but so different?"
She gripped the hilt of her sword. Something inside her told her she must follow it, that she must understand it. Not as an adventurer, not as a member of the Loki family. Not out of duty… but because that creature had just stirred something buried so deep in her heart, she'd forgotten it was even there.
A part of her longed to feel that peace again.
Another… was afraid that I would never recognize her again.
…
Bell sat in a corner of the street, his back against a half-ruined wall, his breathing still somewhat labored. With his new sword rested on his legs, its edge still stained with traces of the recent battle. Hestia huddled beside Bell, smiling with obvious pride, though she kept casting worried glances toward her child.
Around them, a crowd had gathered. Some offered him water, others food, and some simply stared at him with eyes shining with admiration.
"That was the boy who saved us!" a child shouted from somewhere in the crowd.
"I saw him punch that Silverback into the air!"
Bell smiled nervously, raising his hands in an attempt to calm the commotion.
"Th-this… I actually just did what anyone would have done…"
"Liar!" an elderly woman laughed. "Anyone would have ran. You stayed, kid."
Hestia crossed her arms and nodded with a "see?" expression, while leaning lightly against his side.
Bell, for his part, shifted uncomfortably. The attention burned hotter than the fire of that… dragon? Bird? Whatever that thing was. And even more so, the voice in his mind echoed:
[Yharon, the dragon of rebirth, has recognized you.]
He didn't know what that meant. He didn't know why Yharon had intervened, or why the dragon looked at him like that… as if it knew him. But for now, he didn't want to think about that. Bell took a deep breath, looking at the grateful faces around him.
"Looks like you're not just a lucky rookie anymore Bell." Hestia spoke softly, resting her head on Bell's shoulder.
Bell sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the warm sunlight filter through the shadows of the disaster. He didn't know what would come next, but for a moment, just one, he was able to stop running.
Although deep down… I knew that calm never lasted long in Orario.
"The Saint of the Feria!" someone shouted, laughing, and the laughter spread through the crowd like a spark in dry straw.
Bell scratched his cheek uncomfortably, trying to smile so as not to appear rude.
"Saint? Come on, don't overreact!" he muttered, but no one heard him… or if they did, they simply chose to ignore Bell.
"Holy White Hair!" another voice shouted, this time louder, more enthusiastically.
And then what Bell feared happened: someone began to kneel. First one, then another. Soon several more followed suit, not as if they worshipped him, but as if they respected him in a way that completely surpassed him. Some clasped their hands in prayer. Others just bowed their heads, murmuring words of gratitude or protection.
Hestia looked around, stunned, before letting out an amused laugh. "Holy Bell? Wow, that's new!"
Bell was as confused as he was blushing. He wanted to say it was a misunderstanding, that he was just in the right place at the right time… but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.
Instead, he remained silent. Listening. Watching.
People looked at him as if he were something more than an adventurer. As if, amidst the chaos, he had been the flame that never went out. Not by strength, not by technique... but by determination.
And in that instant… something inside him changed.
A warmth spread from his chest. At first, it was just satisfaction. The relief of having saved others. But soon that emotion turned into something bigger, deeper. Like a calm river flowing through him.
Peace.
It wasn't the kind of peace you feel after a victory, but the kind that comes when you know you did the right thing. Even if no one saw it. Even if no one thanked you.
Since arriving in Orario, Bell felt that his dream of being a hero… was returning and stronger than ever.
"Holy, huh…?" he murmured, with a small smile, as the sun continued its descent in the sky, dyeing the city in golden hues.
And for some reason… it didn't sound so bad.
As people continued to murmur her name, and a few children approached with shining eyes to offer her makeshift flowers made of torn paper or fabric, Bell closed her eyes for just a second, letting the warm evening air brush her face.
And then, without warning, something echoed in Bell's mind. A silent but unwavering voice, like a chime that only he could hear:
[Divine Blessing of the Sword Saint]: Drastically improves all stats when wielding a sword.
Bell's eyes flew open. A chill ran down his spine. It wasn't a sense of danger, but of something deep, ancient, almost sacred.
He'd felt those kinds of revelations before—the Divine Blessing of Context, the Grandfather's Wish— but this one felt… different. More solid. More defined. As if the world itself had recognized not only what he did… but what he was.
His fingers brushed the hilt of his new sword. As if he knew something had changed. That the bond between him and that blade was now more than steel and leather: it was symbol, it was power… it was destiny.
And for the first time since the fight ended, Bell actually smiled.
Not from nerves, not from discomfort. It was a calm, serene smile. Almost humble, but filled with a gentle confidence, as if he finally understood a small part of the enormous path ahead.
Hestia glanced at him, tilting her head. "What's wrong, Bell?"
"...Nothing," he replied, looking down at the sword and stroking the scabbard with his thumb. "Just... I feel a little more prepared."
And then, among the crowd, among the cries of "Saint!", the applause, and the sun gilding the roofs of Orario…
Bell Cranel smiled.
…
The small interrogation room was still tense, and Bell, not used to being at the center of such a commotion, was growing increasingly uncomfortable. Hestia and Loki's voices still echoed in the air, but unlike before, Ganesha now occasionally intervened to calm things down.
"This is crazy!" Hestia exclaimed, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Why are we arguing over something as stupid as that dragon looking at him? It's nonsense!"
"So what if he looked at it?" Loki retorted, his tone mocking. "We're not saying that domething happened, but we can't ignore a detail like this. A monster doesn't usually stop to look at a person for no other reason than to attack."
"What reason could there be for the dragon to be interested in Bell?" Hestia protested, clearly annoyed.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to be sure," Loki replied with a challenging smile, clearly enjoying the tension between them.
Ganesha, however, raised a hand and intervened in his usual calm but firm tone: "I AM GANESHA! Calm down, everyone. Bell we need to ask you a few questions to clear this all up. If everything is okay, everything will be fine."
Hestia, still annoyed, crossed her arms, but calmed down a bit when she saw that Ganesha had intervened to keep the peace.
Bell felt trapped between the two goddesses, like a pawn in a chess game. He looked at the three of them and, although somewhat nervous, tried to relax as best he could. It was clear the three of them had good intentions, but the situation was still awkward.
"I… I didn't know about that dragon until today," Bell finally replied, his tone sincere. "I've never seen it before." Technically, that was true.
His voice was full of honesty, and although for him it was a statement that simply recounted the facts as he had experienced them, the three gods, thanks to their divine abilities, knew it deep down. There wasn't a hint of a lie in his statement, and because of that, the tensions seemed to relax a little.
Hestia stared at Bell for a moment, then sighed and dropped her arms. "I guess that makes sense…" she murmured. While she wasn't completely reassured, at least that cleared up a lot of things.
Loki also seemed to relax slightly, though his crooked smile didn't disappear. "Well, it seems like that's the truth," she commented, looking at Bell with a slight nod. "Although, this dragon doesn't seem to be a common monster. We don't have all the answers, but we'll keep an eye out."
Ganesha nodded, glad that things seemed to be calming down. "I AM GANESHA! Perfect, that's all settled then. Hestia, it doesn't seem like your boy is involved in anything strange, so we have to keep an eye out."
Bell sighed with relief; at least now he could relax a little. Although the situation was still strange and somewhat unsettling, knowing his word was being taken seriously gave him a bit of peace. It wasn't that he was afraid or guilty, but the constant questions and suspicions were making him nervous.
"Thanks…" he murmured, grateful that at least now the conversation was on the right track.
Meanwhile, Loki and Hestia exchanged a brief glance, but one filled with the rivalry they both shared. It seemed like everything had been resolved for now, but Bell couldn't help but feel that this whole matter wasn't completely closed.
"Yes, thank you, Bell," Hestia said, her tone now softer, though still had a hint of exasperation. "But next time, please don't make everyone think you're involved with a dragon!"
Loki gave a light laugh, as if enjoying the situation, but said nothing more. Ganesha, for his part, seemed content that it was all over, at least for the moment.
Ganesha, with his imposing figure, approached Bell with a friendly smile on his face. The tension had largely dissipated, and his presence, though always imposing, now felt almost paternal.
"Sorry for the inconvenience, young man," he said in a deep but kind voice, pulling something from one of the folds of his robes. He reached out, and to everyone's surprise, offered him… a lollipop.
Bell blinked, confused for a second, but then took the candy somewhat awkwardly.
"Uh… thanks…"
Ganesha patted him on the shoulder, and with a proud smile that seemed to shine on its own, he raised his hand high and exclaimed:
"I AM GANESHA!"
With that, he turned with unexpected grace for someone wearing an elephant mask and strode out of the room, as if he had just resolved an international conflict rather than just a routine conversation.
Bell stared at the lollipop for a moment, then looked down with a small smile.
Hestia, arms crossed, growled softly. "He always has to make an entrance."and a exit…"
Loki, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, chuckled. "At least he has style."
Bell just shrugged, still not knowing whether to laugh, say thanks, or simply keep the lollipop as a souvenir of the strangest day of his life.
As they descended the stone stairs of the Ganesha Familia headquarters, leaving the interrogation room behind, the evening light filtered through the high windows, bathing the hallway in orange and gold hues. Bell walked silently beside Hestia, the palette Ganesha had given him already tucked into an inner pocket. Although the atmosphere had calmed, his mind was still preoccupied.
"Hestia-sama…" he murmured suddenly, breaking the silence as they turned down one of the exterior corridors that led back toward the city. "There's something I haven't told you yet."
Hestia looked at him sideways, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? What? Don't tell me you're keeping another incident with girls to yourself."
Bell waved his hand nervously. "N-no! Nothing like that. It's… something that happened before the attack."
He paused for a moment, waiting for a group of adventurers to pass by, then continued in a lower voice. " Before the Silverback appeared, I obtained two new blessings. They appeared to me suddenly."
Hestia tilted her head, intrigued. "New blessings?"
Bell nodded seriously. "The first one is a bit strange… it's called [Divine blessing of the context]. It allows me to understand the background of certain situations, as if a person explained in real time."
"That sounds…" Hestia blinked, "That sounds useful!"
"The other one…" Bell continued, looking up at the red-tinged sky, "…appeared right after that dragon appeared. I heard its voice in my mind. It's called [Divine Blessing of the Rebirth Dragon]."
Hestia stopped dead in her tracks.
"What did you say?" he asked, his tone suddenly serious.
Bell stopped too, turning to her. "That's what blessing is called. [Divine Blessing of the Rebirth Dragon]. After that, the dragon looked at me… and left."
Hestia's eyes narrowed, analyzing the information. Gradually, her lips pursed into a thoughtful line. "That means... yes, then it's true. It wasn't a coincidence."
"Coincidence?"
"That dragon, Bell. The one that appeared today… it has to be the Rebirth Dragon. If you received such a blessing, it means you're connected to it, directly or indirectly. And not just because of that fancy name. That creature… wasn't a common monster. It didn't even look like one.
Bell swallowed. "What does that mean for me?"
Hestia looked at him firmly. "I don't know. But if such a being decided to acknowledge you as its 'companion,' then something ig is happening. And you are in the center."
The little goddess looked down for a few seconds, clearly worried, but then smiled at him, as she always did to inspire confidence.
"But no matter how big the dragon is, Bell. You're my child. And we're going to get through this together, understood?"
Bell nodded, his hand balling into a determined fist.
"Yes, Goddess-sama."
Hestia, still mulling over the matter, glanced at Bell as they walked down a narrow street.
"By the way, Bell…" he said, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow, "how did you lie to Ganesha, Loki and me? I didn't sense you lie when you spoke about the dragon."
Bell smiled a little nervously, shrugging slightly. "It's just… I didn't lie."
Hestia looked at him as if she didn't believe him for a second. "What do you mean, no? The dragon basically greeted you from the sky with fireworks!"
Bell scratched the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed. "Technically, I didn't know about the dragon until today. I didn't know it existed. I only heard its name in my head when I saw the dragon. It had already left. So when I said I didn't know anything about it… I was telling the truth. I knew nothing until everything happened."
Hestia narrowed her eyes.
"…Damn. You're right."
Bell smiled, a little triumphantly.
"Technically true! So the divine detectors have no way of catching me."
Hestia clicked her tongue in frustration, but couldn't help but let out a giggle at the end.
"That was sneaky, Bell. But I admit it was clever. You've learned something from living with me."
Bell looked down for a moment, his footsteps softly echoing against the uneven cobblestones of the alley. The silence grew heavier, until he said in a serious tone:
"Goddess… there is something else."
She looked at him immediately, her previous smile disappearing. "What thing?"
"The divine blessing of context…" Bell hesitated for a moment, as if saying it out loud made it more real.
"When I faced the Silverback, it revealed something to me."
Hestia frowned. "What thing?"
"The Silverback… was charmed." Bell looked up, his expression tense.
"Specifically charmed to find and attack a white-haired boy."
Hestia was silent for a couple of seconds, as if processing that information took her a moment longer than she wanted to admit.
"White-haired boy" she murmured, almost to herself.
Bell nodded. "The kind of charm befitting a goddess of beauty." Hestia's eyes opened, now fully alert.
"And there are only two in Orario capable of something like that… Ishtar and…"
"Freya." Bell finished the sentence for her, in a low voice.
Hestia stopped dead in her tracks, so did Bell.
A thick silence fell between them. Even the wind seemed to calm for a moment.
"First the problem with that girl Syr... and now this." Hestia clenched her fists, her face a mixture of anger and concern. "It's one thing to be interested in you, but… to try to kill you?!"
Bell looked at her tensely. "Do you think… it's really her?"
Hestia didn't respond immediately. She stared straight ahead, her expression grim.
"…I don't like jumping to conclusions. But if she's already using her charm on monsters to attack you in the middle of a crowded city…" Hestia closed her eyes in frustration. "That's not just interest. It's obsession. And that gets us into trouble."
Bell nodded gravely. There was no longer any doubt: something much bigger was moving in the shadows… and he was the target.