บท 2: 2.reunited with goddess
'I'm back!!' Bell screamed in his mind, he almost lost hope, 'Although, I would miss Richard, that's his life, not mine...' Bell firmed his heart and sigh, 'but what was about? Dream? Soul projection? Hallucination?' be thought in confusion
'Whatever it was...it isn't something I want to try anytime soon...' bell shook his head and remember his unusual situation, a pair of golden eyes were looking at him with slight curiosity
'why the look in his eyes...is different?' the blond girl questioned
'He seems... manlier...?' she didn't know, as she doesn't much talk with people, much less opposite sex, to her, they are mere distraction to her goal...
Bell, who didn't know her line of thought smile slightly, "Thank you for saving me, I'm really grateful." he stood up and bowed to her, 'if I didn't have Richard with me those past 10 years, I wouldn't even be able to speak this sentence without stuttering.' Bell chuckle internally, "can I have your name, miss?" bell stretch his hand to shake her hand and to pull her
"Ais, Ais Wallenstein, Loki Familia" Ais answered softly, accepting his hand and stood up, still staring at him
Bell noticed her stare and coughed, "ahem, so it's Ais-san? Can I call you that? I'm Bell Cranel, captain of Hestia Familia, well I'm the only one so far, hahaha"
"Mm." Ais nodded, nod minding calling her by her name, she's still staring at him, Bell now felt kinda pressured, "Ais-san, is there something on my face? I didn't get a scar, did I?!" bell looked at nearby water and sighed in relief, "although a scar is cool if I bit older" he muttered, Richard had a ton of scars, showing his experience in battle, so bell had grown in favor of having some of them, 'chicks dig scars' as Richard said always
'Although right now, I'm still growing, I rather have one when my face mature.'
Ais continued to stare at him, and finally said, "... you look... different?"
"I do?" Bell sweated a bit, 'of course I'll, I lived 10 years with a battle manic playboy! But how could she tell?' suddenly Bell eyes looked sharp, he looked at Ais differently, living with Richard made him able to tell how much is someone is strong vaguely
'She is strong, very strong to the current me, she is as strong as Richard 10 years ago, roughly speaking.' Bell thought and part of him wanted to fight her, 'damn did I rub off Richard?' bell thought in disbelief and amusement
Ais noticed his eyes change and looked at him in slight surprised, 'What was that?', before Ais could explore that new curiosity she had for the white haired boy, a voice rang to her ear
"Oi Ais! It's been 15 minutes that you have left to save some weakling! Aren't you done?!" A rude and loud man voice was heard
"hm?" bell also looked back and saw a lean young man with wolf ear, and scorn on his face
"come on already! The whole squad is waiting, we finished cleaning these filthy cows a while ago, leave that white haired weakling and let's go!"
Ais slightly frowned, not pleased how her follow Familia member treat her new... friend?
'I don't know...' Ais shook her head and looked at bell, "... Sorry bell." Ais apologized and run to her teammate, "I'm here, Bete..."
Bete nodded and looked at bell in disdain, "be thankful you were saved, brat, next time the dungeon won't be so merciful on a weakling like you."
Bell looked at Bete with raised eyebrows, as if he's looking at an idiot, 'why this half dog half brick picking a fight out of nowhere? Did I ever do something to him?' bell questioned
"what? Do you something to say?" Bete looked at his face and smirked in provoking
"nothing, thank you for saving me, Loki Familia." bell smiled and bowed
Bete snorted, feeling upset he didn't get a reaction out of him, "whatever, as long you know it! Let's go Ais!" he walked away in annoyance, Ais gave Bell one last glance and went to wolf man
after making sure the two are away, Bell sighed in relief and looked at sorry self, "damn, I'm a bloody mess, Eina-san and goddess would go bloody Mary on if they see like that..." Bell shuddered in imagining Eina angry expression, but on his face was a smile, "I truly missed her, I can't believe I miss her scolding haha" Bell laughed to himself
"Wait, I could try that!" suddenly be said, "although it's not the same, it should follow the magic logic...well nothing to lose I suppose." Bell said and decided to try
he focused his mind and try to imagine his 'Mana' doing something, 'cleanse!' he uttered the command in his mind, 'it didn't work? How unfortunate... creating a cleanse spell wouldn't be easy…' suddenly he felt something decrease in him, not the 'Mana' bur something else, 'what's happening?' he thought
He tried the spell again, 'cleanse!' and right then he felt something else drain, and he knew that it was his 'Mana' or Mind in this world terminology
around him, a kind of mist appeared, cleaning every part of him, his dirty clothes now had no dirt, his blood face and hair are no more, only some superficial wounds are left and some of his destroyed armor, thankfully Ais gave him some Health potions, so he drank it immediately, ignoring the bitter taste, he would start to heal, left no clue he was under death clutches few minutes ago,
"hehe, I didn't know the spell worked! Magic in this world is much more restricted, over there in Richard's world, even that brick playboy can do basic spells"
"although, something unusual happened to me after trying to cast it... I better try not to cast anything else before going back to goddess and check what the hell is wrong with me." he said
but despite his return, Bell is still a bit overwhelmed that he came back to his life, his living Richard life gave him strong will to handle most situation, but couldn't help but to be a bit emotional seeing his dear people albeit few in so long
bell picked up the cheap knife that guild gave him,"haah I'm already misses living as Richard... this knife can't remove the meat between his teeth..." bell said wryly and played with the knife a bit,
but unlike his previous beginner skills, he can use it now to it's best capabilities, considering the knife durability and his own body strength into the equation as well
"If Richard use the same knife, I bet he can kill any early floor with it with a simple strike without even reducing the knife durability." in Bell mind, Richard was a brotherly figure to him, although he didn't know about bell existence, bell really felt grateful to Richard
Bell then fixed his clothes to a certain degree, at least he won't get scolding for tattered clothes as it's not unusual, he rushed from 5th floor to the 4th floor in relatively hurried manner,
but at a certain moment, bell ears perked up and eyes sharpened, in a swift movement, he back stepped evading a nasty monster jumping on him
"a dungeon lizard? How not original." bell quipped and rushed to the surprised lizard, that thought it caught an easy prey, bell slashed the reptile caused to scream in pain
*UKKHHH*
"not bad...for a barely functioning kitchen knife." he looked at the knife, who is now covered in blue blood
Bell licked his lip in an excited manner, "oh, I definitely rubbed off Richard... not like I dislike it though." bell laughed lightly and dashed to the intention to kill
in a skillful manner, Bell dodged the pissed lizard and continue his assault on it relentlessly, until after a few hits it bit the dust and died
"not even a warm-up?" he went to lizard and cut it, removing its magical core, then the monster became dust, he put it in his pocket next to the Minotaur's bigger core that he took after Ais has left, bell then continued his slaughter on the poor monsters
/few hours later, at the surface./
"Finally, I'm spent." Bell sighed as he reached the offices in the guild, holding a good amount of crystals, 'this first time bringing this much, but considering my experience...this isn't much, but it will be enough for a while.' bell smiled lightly and walk humming a tone that Richard used to hum, reaching his long seen half-elf advisor, bell said in happy tone, "Eina-san! I'm back!"
The emerald eyes, busty businesswoman, looked up and her eyes widen, "Bell-kun!! You are fine! Thank god's you are fine!" Eina rushed to him checking him up, only sighs in relief that he isn't missing an eye or arm, only his clothes are mess, which she didn't give much attention to
"I didn't know that Eina-san had a god to thank." bell smiled lightly
"you silly boy... you are in mood for jokes... I heard the dungeon was filled with Minotaurs, giving adventure nightmares"
"So you were worried about me?" Bell asked in a smile
"of course! I'm your advisor! You are my responsibility to be informed of every detail regarding safety in the dungeon!" Eina said as a matter of fact
Bell smiled warmly and gives Eina a hug!" I missed you, Eina-san..."
Eina who was hugged couldn't register what happened, "w-what do you mean, Bell-kun… you see me this m-morning... didn't you?" Eina said with a blush, bell had a different look in his eyes, a hint of maturity and playfulness could be seen swimming between his Ruby's orbs
"it was a very long morning..." Bell smiled mysteriously as he released Eina as he didn't want to make her to feel uncomfortable
Eina who was released felt a sense of loss all of a sudden, bell noticed that and couldn't help but to tease the half elf, "did you enjoy my hug, Eina-san?"
"W-w-what got into you, Bell-kun?" Eina blush increased and pushed her glasses and said in scolding manners, "it's your imagination Bell-kun, nothing more"
"Is that so…" Bell just smiled and didn't pursue it and change the subject, "can you help me with this sum?"
"O-of course bell-kun." Eina collected herself and took the crystal bag and began to calculate, and looked at the sum in surprise, "Bell-kun how many floors you went in?"
"Only 5th, is there a problem?" bell asked with raised eyebrow
"N-no, just surprised here your total after taxes."
"55200 valis...not bad." Bell smiled and took the money, "Thank you Eina-san, I'd love to company you more, but my goddess will be dead worried about me now, I must go." he smiled and went his way home
Eina stared at his leaving figure and muttered, "just what in gods names happened to you, Bell-kun...he can't change his personality in one morning... can he... although.. I didn't dislike the hug..." Eina cheeks flushed red when she remembered the feeling of his arms around her, but shook her head removing such unnecessary feeling...or that what she thought...
/at church underground basement/
Bell opened the door and said, "Goddess, I'm home!" and not his surprise, a white and short mass of soft flesh rushed to his embrace
"BELLLLLLLLLL-KUUUUUUUUUN!!!" the chibbi busty goddess screaming in delight as she pushed the teen body on a nearby couch, Bell, unlike his previous self, hugged Hestia as tightly as her, "I'm home... goddess.. I'm home..." Hestia felt his arms tighten around her and looked at bell in shock, "Bell-kun...why are you crying Bell-kun?" Hestia touched Bell's wet cheek in confusion, and sudden sadness filled her
"I'm just... really really really really missed you goddess...Hestia-sama... I really missed you..." Bell continue to cry, despite his 10 years live as Richard, his longing for Hestia has never stopped, even become stronger, this especially with the fear of him never seeing her again
"shh Bell-kun I'm here I'm here... I won't go anywhere... I'm with you..." Heatia whispered gently in Bell's ear to soothe his feeling... after crying for dozen minutes, bell released Hesia and said warmly, "Thank you Hestia-sama, for being with me..."
"wahh Bell-kun! you know I'm always will with and for you!" Hestia hugged bell again and the pair shared a loving moment together...
soon after both their stomach growls, they looked at each other and laughed, "Bell-kun there is soms soup and bread left, don't mind
me, please go eat.." Hestia mouth was shut by Bell finger, "absolutely not, we are eating meat!" bell then brought two fresh meal he bought with him caused Hestia to drool , "Bell-kun you are the best!!"
"hehe, I know."
"hehe, when my Bell-kun became this cheeky?" Heatia giggles as she pinches bell cheek, bell wasn't shut down as he pulled her own cheeks too
"Bell-kun wahh stop bulling me!" bell didn't stop despite her protest, soon the pair stopped playing around and eat the tasty meal which bell brought with him...
/later/
Hestia was setting on Bell's naked back, feeling his growing back muscles with slightly pink cheeks, Hestia coughed slightly and decided to update the boy status, but soon her eyes almost went of her places, as she was speechless
"what's wrong, Hestia-sama?" bell asked,Hesia didn't answer and took a piece of paper and imprint the status on for bell to see, bell stood up and saw his status
"....what the hell?!"
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