Miach Familia Premise Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a new chapter! Now that Bell has Lili as his Supporter, he can more efficiently crawl the Dungeon. There’s a specific Monster that he’s looking for to help Naaza with the new potion that she’s trying to develop, and he’s GOING to find them, one way or another! But even Bell knows that his self-taught skills will only take him so far. Perhaps he can find someone to help him out and train him to hone and refine his techniques? Things are happening in Orario and the Dungeon that Bell has no idea about, but his jack-of-all-trades knowledge and his rapid progress can’t go unnoticed in a place like Orario.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 6 – Search, Training, Attention

Bell was walking down West Main Street early in the morning, on his way to the Dungeon since he always wanted to get a full day in when he wasn’t taking a day to work outside of Babel Tower. He was thinking of his current situation, while still keeping his eyes on the street ahead of him. ‘I want to find some Blue Papilio for Naaza, but I haven’t had any luck yet. There’s only so much that I can handle on my own though.’ His staff skills were self-taught, and while they worked very well, so far, Bell wasn’t sure just how much longer that would be the case as he went deeper into the Dungeon. ‘Naaza is an Archer, so she doesn’t excel in close quarters combat. But I don’t know if I can ask anyone to help me train and improve my melee skills.’

A faint sound got Bell’s attention and snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Hm?” Bell looked to his left and saw that he was in front of the Hostess of Fertility. “But where’s the sound coming from?” He asked the almost empty street, not seeing anyone around. When the sound came again, this time in two rapid beats, Bell followed it down the narrow alley on one side of the tavern. What he saw at the end of the alley was a large open courtyard behind the Hostess of Fertility…yet the space was barely registered at all since Bell’s rubellite eyes were locked onto the lovely form of Ryu as she practiced with a wooden sword at blurring speeds. ‘But every move is precise, she doesn’t overextend and her balance remains perfect.’ The skill on display was captivating enough in its own right, but Ryu’s beautiful figure, her semi-short light green hair, her blue eyes, the way her body moved…it all entranced Bell to the point that he didn’t even realize he’d been noticed until Ryu stopped and called out to him.

“Mr. Cranel?” Ryu questioned as she brought her practice to a stop after having noticed Bell watching her. She was dressed only in a thin, white, sleeveless shirt and a pair of green short shorts for her practice, and a light sheen of sweat was on her face.

Bell’s mouth reacted before his brain. “Beautiful…”

Ryu blinked once before her cheeks turned pink. “M-Mr. Cranel…you shouldn’t say such things…you have Miss Naaza.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Miss Ryu.” Bell apologized, taking his hat off his head and holding it over his chest as he gave her a bow. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine…Mr. Cranel.” Ryu assured him after a moment to regain her composure. “I’m sorry that you had to see me in this state.”

Bell shook his head as he straightened up and but his hat back on. “You look good…I mean amazing…I mean…” He trailed off realizing he was just digging himself deeper with every word.

Ryu’s cheeks were pink again, and now the Elf woman was fidgeting slightly. “Th-Thank you, Mr. Cranel.” The fact that she could tell he was being his normal honest and genuine self only made her heart beat a little faster. “Wh-What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I try to go to the Dungeon close to this time every day, when I’m not working outside of Babel, or taking a day off.” Bell told her easily. “I guess this is the first time I’ve walked by while you’ve been practicing.” He gave her a bright smile. “You were amazing, Miss Ryu. All of your moves were so swift and strong, but perfectly controlled. You’ve inspired me again.”

‘I’ve inspired him again?’ Ryu’s felt some warmth spread through her at Bell’s words. It had been a long time, years, since she and her late comrades had fought to protect Orario and bring peace, hoping to inspire the residents of the city to stand up against the unjust actions of the Evilus, Familias led by so-called ‘Evil Gods’ that had begun to terrorize the city after the fall of the Zeus and Hera Familias. Bell couldn’t have known just how much his words meant to Ryu, and that only made them mean even more to her. “I… Thank you, Mr. Cranel.” She was going to say that she wasn’t worth looking up to…but the sincere smile filled with warmth had rendered her unable to contradict Bell’s words.

Bell nodded once, happy that Ryu accepted his compliment. “It’s just the truth, Miss Ryu.” He looked at the wooden sword in her hand and then his eyes moved to his staff. ‘I shouldn’t… A sword and a staff are very different weapons, and it would be presumptuous to ask her for training.’

Ryu saw Bell’s rubellite eyes look at her wooden sword and then his own staff. She wondered if he was thinking what she thought he was…because it would let her practice with someone again, ever since her friends and coworkers refused to join her any more after she ‘went too far’ during their sparring in the past. “Honestly, I’m afraid this practice isn’t enough, Mr. Cranel.”

“Not enough?” Bell looked confused (and Ryu quickly shoved the thought that it made him look cute into the back of her mind). “It looked perfect to me.”

“I’m afraid that I’ve not been able to improve, no matter how many days I practice.” Ryu told him honestly, matching the simple honesty that Bell always spoke to her with. “There is only so much one can gain from practicing alone, Mr. Cranel.” She looked into his eyes, azure meeting rubellite, an gave him a small smile. “If you’d like… I wouldn’t mind practicing with you, if you find me acceptable.”

Bell took Ryu’s hand in both of his, an excited smile on his face as he beamed at her. “I’d be honored, Miss Ryu!” He couldn’t believe that she’d offered to practice with him! ‘If I could learn to be as strong, precise, and controlled as Miss Ryu in my movements, my staff moves would improve more than I could ever hope to do on my own!’

Ryu’s face was red as Bell held her hand with both of his. Her heart nearly thundering in her chest as she felt his skin against hers, the warmth of his slightly rugged hands against her hand was a feeling that she had no experience with…and yet she didn’t react in the typical Elven way to a non-Elf touching her. Instead of pulling her hand away or smacking his hands off of her, Ryu only looked away bashfully, her blush so hot that the tips of her Elven ears started to turn pink. “Mr. Cranel… Th-This is…a little awkward.”

“Oh!” Bell gently pulled his hands away as he realized that he’d made a faux pas, by Elven customs, for touching Ryu’s hand like that. “I’m sorry, Miss Ryu.”

“No…it’s alright.” Ryu said, her cheeks still adorably pink and her stomach feeling like their were butterflies fluttering about. “W-Would you like to come by a little earlier than this for o-our first practice?”

Bell was happy that Ryu had forgiven him and nodded in agreement. “That would be great, Miss Ryu. Thank you so much for helping me improve.”

Ryu gave him a small smile that made Bell’s heart thump in his chest. “No, thank you, Mr. Cranel. I will do my best so that we may both improve.”

The two were just smiling gently at each other for a long moment before Bell remembered the time and that he needed to meet Lili in front of Babel Tower.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Miss Ryu.” Bell gave her a short bow and another quick smile before he trotted back down the narrow alleyway and took off at a fast walk towards the Dungeon.

Ryu didn’t realize how long she stood there in the courtyard until the rays of the morning sun began to peek into the courtyard. ‘Ah! It’s time.’ She needed to head inside now, get a shower, and then get into her waitress uniform. Ryu did her best to use her daily routine with work to distract herself from the fact that she still felt warm inside and there was a little heat lingering on her cheeks.

That plan went out the window as soon as she opened the back door of the Hostess and saw Syr standing there, her friend’s eyes warm and almost sparkling, her mouth covered by her hands.

‘Oh no…’ Ryu considered Syr her best friend, the one that had saved her and pulled her from the darkness. But she also KNEW Syr and her ‘hobby’ of playing matchmaker with those that she believed would find true love together.

“Ryu…” Syr drew out her friend’s name with a little giggle.

Ryu’s felt her face burn with a dark red blush. She covered her cheeks with her hands and shook her head once. “No…” She looked away from Syr’s eyes.

Syr’s little giggle became a warm laugh as she gently wrapped Ryu in a quick hug. “But it’s cute!”

“Please don’t…” Ryu requested, even though she didn’t push Syr away.

“Alright…I’ll hold back, for now.” Syr acquiesced with a soft smile.

Ryu let out a breath that she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Thank you, Syr.”

Syr smiled warmly. “It’s just for now though…” She playfully teased Ryu.

“Mr. Cranel already has Miss Naaza. And I’m not looking for such a relationship.” Ryu said as she listened for the sounds of the other girls that worked at the Hostess of Fertility. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if Chloe or Anya overheard this conversation. ‘Perhaps die of embarrassment?’ She considered, knowing that the teasing from her friends and coworkers would last for a long time.

“Yes, yes, as you say…” Syr said with a grin as she gently pushed Ryu towards the bathing room to get a shower so that they could start the tasks needed to open for their customers that had lunch early.

Ryu made a little sigh as she walked off towards the showers, knowing that Syr would eventually start her antics. It wasn’t a bad thing, but Ryu wasn’t even sure what she was feeling yet, so the right thing to do was to wait and see how things developed…right?

Syr watched Ryu’s back for a long moment. ‘Oh, my little fairy with a scarred heart. That young man is the one for you, even if you don’t know it yet.’ He eyes almost seemed to glow for a brief second. ‘I won’t let you miss the True Love that has finally found you after all this time.’ She wouldn’t be a very good friend if she let that happen, after all.

-Dungeon ~ Seventh Floor-

“A Blue Papilio?” Lili asked curiously, wondering why Bell specifically wanted to track down that Rare Monster. “Oh, right, you said your Familia was a Medicinal Familia, right?”

“Yeah.” Bell nodded with a little smile, still feeling good about receiving Ryu’s training starting tomorrow. “My Captain wants to use it to try and make a specific medicine.” He knew how important it was to be vague, as Naaza’s idea, should it work out, would be completely revolutionary.

Lili hummed once, looking Bell over, and considering her options. “Well…if you’d like, Lili does know an almost guaranteed method to locate a Blue Papilio. It’s rather dangerous though, so you’d need to listen to Lili every step of the way.”

Bell looked at Lili is amazement. “Really, Lili?! You know a way to find a Blue Papilio?!”

“Well, it’s not just Lili…” Lili leaned away from Bell a little at how excited he was about this. “There are ways to find Rare Monsters, Adventurers have been figuring out various methods for centuries, but for the Blue Papilio it involves staking out the Pantry.” Lili hummed as she went over the length of time such a stakeout might take in her head.

“Pantry?” Bell took a second to recall the term. Anna had explained it to him during his lessons as an Adventurer at the Guild. They were special places within the Dungeon where Monsters went to feed. “Where is the Pantry on this Floor?”

Lili knew from years as a Supporter where each Pantry on the Upper Floors were located, mostly to avoid them if at all possible because of the danger they represented. “It’s on the southern side of Floor Seven, Master Bell. Lili knows the way, if you’re serious about going.”

Bell considered his growth and his stats all being in the ‘S’ Rank on his last Status Update. “I’m not doing too bad here on the Seventh Floor…it shouldn’t be impossible with your help, right, Lili?”

“As long as you listen to everything Lili says, Master Bell.” Lili said with a short nod. “The Blue Papilio can’t fight, so we don’t have to worry about that. It has no way to attack others, but it can heal them. So, we should make sure to take down any we find quickly without attracting attention.” She looked at Bell with a little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s not a danger to Master Bell, of course. But hanging around the Pantry is still dangerous with the number of Monsters that come and go. We have to take precautions to hunt the Blue Papilio safely.”

“Right. I’ll follow your lead, Lili.” Bell agreed, thrilled at the prospect of finding a Blue Papilio, and getting its Drop Item, for Naaza.

With that agreement, Lili pointed out a different path than the one they were on and motioned for Bell to follow her. The various Pantries were always a bit out of the way, and some were almost hidden deep within their Floors. But all of their locations on the Upper and Middle Floors were known, so if one wanted to go there for some reason, they just needed to follow the map the Guild provided for each Floor. It was a bit of a trek, and they encountered more than a few Monsters on the way, but Bell handled the fighting and Lilli took care of her work as Supporter quickly and efficiently so that they didn’t waste time.

“We’re almost there, Master Bell, we should make sure to keep our voices low to avoid detection.” Lili advised as they turned into a corridor after peeking around the corner and checking that the coast was clear.

“Right.” Bell whispered back as a faint light shone at the end of the corridor.

Lili pointed towards the light. “That’s the entrance.” She whispered as they approached slowly and kept their ears sharp for the sound of approaching Monsters.

Once they’d made it to the entrance of the Pantry, Bell couldn’t help but gape at the massive spire of green quartz in the center of the huge cavern. “Whoa…” The quartz was the source of the light they’d seen from the corridor, and around the towering crystal many Monsters were gathered.

“Master Bell, please lower your voice.” Lili shushed him quietly. They really didn’t need the Monsters noticing them right now.

“Right…sorry.” Bell apologized in a whisper.

“That giant quartz is the Pantry itself.” Lili informed Bell as they carefully and quietly made their way along the wall of the huge chamber. “You see that liquid coming from the quartz like a spring?” She pointed at what the Monsters were eating at the base of the crystal spire.

Bell looked at the odd liquid and was honestly surprised that the ferocious Monsters of the Dungeon sustained themselves on such a thing. “So, that’s what the Monsters eat normally?”

“Surprised?” Lili asked in a low whisper. “Most Adventurers are more familiar with Monsters trying to kill and eat them, after all.”

“It’s oddly…pretty.” Bell mentioned of the light coming off the quartz spire.

Lili agreed with a small nod as they continued to clink along the edge of the wide cavern. “Yes, the soft light from the quartz, the sound of the spring…if not for the Monsters, you’d hardly believe that you were in the Dungeon.” When they reached a series of rocks jutting out from the wall, Lili pointed upwards, indicating they should climb it. “We should hide and wait for the Blue Papilio to show up.”

Bell nodded and quietly followed Lili as they climbed up to a small outcropping of the rock that made up the walls. Once the two were sitting on the mostly flat spot, Lili pulled out a large green cloth from her huge bag. Bell noticed that it was very close in color to the soft light of the quartz. “Oh, so that’s how we hide.”

“Mhmm, it’s camouflage.” Lili whispered as she covered them with the large cloth, making sure to cover her large backpack as well. “None of the Monsters on the Seventh Floor have very good noses, so as long as we’re quiet, they shouldn’t notice us up here.” This was the most well-known method for catching the rare Blue Papilio, and Lili had performed it before, so she kept the camouflage cloth she’d bought the first time.

“What’s the Blue Papilio look like anyway?” Bell questioned after a minute or two of comfortable silence between them.

“You’ll know it when you see it, Master Bell, trust me.” Lili assured him, looking out at the gathered Monsters to make sure none of them had spotted the hiding pair of Adventurers.

Bell looked at the Monsters eating, some leaving after getting their fill, while others showed up to eat randomly. “I wonder…why does the Monster Lure item, the one that’s made of meat, blood, and fat, work on the Monsters if they normally eat from this spring?”

Lili looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing over and over again?”

“Ah…” Bell understood, or at least he thought he did. ‘The spring can nourish the Monsters, but perhaps it’s like foraging for wild fruits and vegetables, as opposed to hunting a deer or boar.’ He had experience with both from growing up in the mountain village. Most of the villagers would celebrate when the hunters brought back big game as it meant fresh meat for everyone, without having to slaughter any of their limited livestock prematurely.

“Even Monsters want variety, I guess.” Lili shrugged, watching the gathering of Monsters continue to eat.

Bell watched the coming and going of the various Monsters for a couple of minutes before whispering again. “This seems like it would be a good place to hunt, given that so many Monsters come here.”

Lili shook her head at that. “If you can make it here, it would be easier just to go down to the next Floor, since the spawn rate increases the further down you go. The unpredictability of not knowing when more Monsters will show up makes a Pantry a less than ideal location to try hunting.”

“That’s closer to what Anna told me.” Bell nodded after a second to recall what he’d been taught by his Dungeon Advisor. ‘The Pantries are designated as dangerous zones, even within the Dungeon, for a reason.’ But he couldn’t help but think that High Class Adventurers: those of Level 2 and higher, wouldn’t have a problem turning an Upper Floor Pantry into a hunting ground, if they wanted to.

“If you’re not careful around here, there’s a serious risk of being swarmed by masses of Monsters.” Lili spoke quietly, having heard stories of Adventurer Parties getting swarmed and wiped out. “That’s why the Pantries are never chosen as battlefields. It would be too easy to end up with more Monsters than you can handle.”

Bell noted the number of Monsters in the Pantry seemed to lower and increase randomly. It would only take a group of Monsters showing up at the wrong time to make hunting here into a death trap for a small Party. “I see. That makes sense.”

“Oh! Master Bell!” Lili kept her voice down, but her excitement was clear as she lightly tapped his shoulder and pointed to a newly arrived Monster.

“Is that…the Blue Papilio?” Bell gaped at the pretty Monster. It was a large butterfly monster that had four blue, see through wings. It looked much less threatening than any Monster that Bell had seen before.

Lili nodded as she watched the Monster flutter in the air. “Yes, it is. Our trip here paid off faster than expected.”

“The Blue Papilio’s Drop Item is used to make medicine. So, it must be the powder that falls off its wings that enables it to heal others, right?” Bell compared it to the Purple Moth, a much more common insect Monster with similar dust scattering abilities. Seeing the blue powder glistening from every flap of the insect monster’s wings made it obvious what Naaza wanted from the Rare Monster.

“We can’t start a fight here.” Lili reminded Bell quietly, her eyes never leaving their target. “Let’s wait for it to leave the Pantry and follow it.” Rare Monsters were almost guaranteed to leave a Drop Item behind, so this should work out perfectly for them.

Bell agreed with a quite whisper. “Got it, Lili.” Making sur to keep an eye on both the Blue Papilio and on the gathered Monsters around the quartz pillar.

It took a couple of minutes, but once the Blue Papilio had gotten its fill from the spring, it fluttered back into the air and out of the Pantry. Bell and Lili, using the large cloth to keep themselves out of sight, quietly moved to follow the Monster. They made extra sure of their footing so that they wouldn’t cause any rocks to fall and attract attention from the eating Monsters. As the two exited the Pantry and entered the corridor again, they saw the large blue butterfly Monster flitting away. They quickly went after it, and Lili raised her arm and pulled back her sleeve, revealing a small bowgun. Taking aim, Lili fired, and the bowgun let off a small sound in the quiet corridor. The bolt struck true, downing the Blue Papilio, and Lili hurried forward to finish it off with her knife.

“Lili…look!” Bell pointed further down the corridor. His rubellite eyes locked onto another approaching Monster.

“Huh?” Lili turned her head and saw another Blue Papilio flying down the corridor towards them, and the Pantry that lay behind them. “No way…”

“I’ve got it.” Bell whispered as he hefted his staff upwards, holding it by the bottom end to extend his reach as high as possible, and waited for the Rare Monster to get closer. Once he was certain that he’d hit it, Bell swung his staff and nearly splattered the butterfly Monster’s head. It dropped from the air and to the stone floor with a soft thud that was hard to hear, even in the quiet.

Lili couldn’t help but smile a little as she quickly set to work on the Blue Papilio she’d killed. “Two in one trip is incredibly lucky.” She murmured as she removed the Magic Stone of the butterfly Monster and watched it turn to white ash. Lili let out a small breath of relief when all four of the Papilio’s see through wings remained behind.

In the time it had taken Lili to harvest the first Blue Papilio, Bell had brought over the one that he’d killed. “Here, Lili.” He said quietly, letting the Supporter handle the task with her greater experience.

“Thank you, Master Bell.” Lili smiled as she carefully extracted the second Magic Stone. She nearly cheered when another full set of four wings were left behind. It was uncommon to get all four wings off any Blue Papilio, but to get all eight from two was some good luck. Lili gently packed up the eight blue wings, making sure not to damage them or rub off the blue powder they were covered in. “This should be more than enough for your Captain, Master Bell.”

“Alright, let’s get out of here, Lili.” Bell smiled at finally obtaining one of the items that Naaza wanted for her new potion.

Lili stashed the camouflage cloth into her bag after folding it up, and then hefted her large pack onto her back again. “Right. Follow me, Master Bell.” She started walking down the corridor, Bell just a few steps ahead as vanguard, when they both heard it.

Clack

Clack

Clack

Clack

Clack

The sound of insectoid claws scraping against the stone floor of the Dungeon.

“Damn it, why now?” Bell cursed under his breath, the sound alone hinting at a large number of Killer ants approaching.

Lili looked behind them towards the Pantry, and then ahead of them again as the sound got closer and closer. “Master Bell…” She was certain of what was about to happen, because similar things had happened to her before. The Adventurer, caught in a bad position, would take whatever valuable loot they could, and then abandon the Supporter to die. She’d been left behind as a distraction a couple of times before, but had always managed to escape, even if only through sheer luck the first time.

Bell looked over his shoulder at Lili…and gave her a smile. “Stay behind me, Lili.”

‘What?’ Lili could barely comprehend what she’d just heard from Bell. ‘We’re about to be swarmed by Killer Ants, and the Pantry is at our backs, putting us in a pincer situation! There’s no way out unless someone is left behind! Why isn’t he abandoning Lili?!’

“SKREEE!!!” The first Killer Ant that saw them let out a nearly ear-splitting screech.

“Skreee!!!

“Skree!!!”

“Kreeee!”

The rest of the Killer Ants in the large group responded loudly and started to swarm towards Bell and Lili.

From behind them, in the Pantry, the sound of Monsters rushing in their direction began to grow louder as the ones that had been eating were alerted to the presence of intruders.

“Burn brightly. Lasair.” Bell incanted as flames alighted from the top of his staff as the narrow crystal began to glow slightly. With a spin of his staff and a little extra Mind for Spell Control the flames spread into wide rings of intense fire that blocked off the approaching Killer Ants. The rings of fire formed a wide wall, like continuous waves in a tide, stalling the charging Killer Ants.

“Pyik!”

“Pyk!”

“Gero!”

“Kero!”

Needle Rabbits were rushing headlong towards bell and Lili from the Pantry, followed by Frog Shooters, the large frog Monsters hopping significant distance with each leap. Behind them, filling the air with toxic dust, were multiple Purple Moths.

Bell observed the rapidly approaching Monsters and decided to deal with them first. “Burn brightly. Lasair.” He cast his spell a second time and the cloud of flames erupted, before spinning into a large ball of fire. With a jab of his staff, Bell sent the fireball rocketing down the corridor, meeting the Monsters from the Pantry head-on.

BOOM

The fireball exploded and filled the corridor from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. The shrieking of the Needle Rabbits and croaks of the Frog Shooters were only heard for a brief moment before going silent. Bell continued his casting as the rings of fire had faded and the Killer Ants were swarming forward again.

“Burn brightly. Lasair!” The flames thinned into a compressed torch that burned white hot, forcing Lili to shield her eyes, lest she blind herself looking at it. Bell swung the torch through the first wave of Killer Ants, cutting them all down easily. He leapt over the dead Monsters that were letting off smoke and steam, and shattered the next Killer Ant’s head with a downward swing of his staff.  “Hup!” He spun his staff and the bottom in cracked into the jaws of another Killer Ant, knocking its head upwards, only to splatter it when he reversed the direction of his staff and struck again.

“Kreee!”

“Skree!”

The Killer Ants screeched and snapped their mandibles at Bell, but he skipped back a step to avoid them. One of the ant Monsters found its right compound eye destroyed by the butt of Bell’s staff. With a deft spin, the weapon was pulled out and slammed into the next Killer Ant’s head as it charged at Bell.

“Burn brightly. Lasair!” Bell cast again, flames pouring from the top of his staff and swallowing up the injured Killer Ant, as well as the three closest to it. Their writhing and screeching forms in the flames didn’t last long as they burned to death and fell to the floor.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

“Master Bell! More are being born!” Lili called out a warning as dozens of spots along the wall of the corridor leading to the Pantry burst open, releasing more Killer Ants, Needle Rabbits, and Purple Moths.

Bell took control of his still burning spell with Spell Control, burning up a bit more of his Mind reserves, and the flames spun tightly together until half a dozen arrows of fire hovered in the air. In a blink, they were racing through the air, each one piercing through a newly born Monster and setting it ablaze. “Burn brightly. Lasair!” He cast again, creating more fire, then controlled it into another fireball.

BOOM

The explosion reverberated in the corridor, becoming almost painfully loud. But Bell didn’t have time to waste worrying about his ears, more and more Killer Ants were coming from the corridor, and more Monsters were coming from the Pantry too. He moved quickly, spinning his staff to build up force and knocked a leaping Needle Rabbit into the nearest wall with a sickening crack. Two more took the opportunity to attack while Bell’s staff was to one side, aiming to impale him on their long horns.

Ching

Bell grunted lowly as he barely blocked the two Needle Rabbits with his new shortsword. The tips of their sharp horns meeting the flat of the blade before Bell’s greater strength sent them flying backwards with a swing of his arm. A quick thrust stabbed the blade through the head of a Killer Ant, killing it instantly. He yanked out his sword and swung his staff, shattering another Killer Ant’s head like a clay pot. The Needle Rabbits were lunging at him from the side, Bell only noticing them out of the corner of his eye. He brought his shortsword around in a wide swing that cut both rabbit Monsters down in midair, leaving their corpses to hit the stone floor with a wet splat.

“Gnn!” Bell bit out as a Killer Ant’s mandibles snapped onto his leg from behind. His red cloth armor stopped the sharp points from stabbing into him, and the greaves took a good amount of the pressure of the bite, but he still felt it. He stabbed straight into the Killer Ant’s head with his shortsword, while pointing his staff at more incoming Killer Ants. “Burn brightly. Lasair!” Flames erupted out of the staff and spun into a whirlwind of fire that engulfed the ant Monsters, burning them all alive.

“Pyik!” A Needle Rabbit’s horn nearly stabbed Bell in the eye as it leapt at him from his blind spot.

With a jerk of his head to the left, Bell prevented the stab from hitting his eye, letting it gaze his cheek instead and open up a long cut. “Hyah!” He cut the Needle Rabbit down with his sword before its feet could touch the ground. “Ugh!” Bell grunted out as a Frog Shooter’s tongue slammed into his back like a strong punch. He felt the nearly prehensile muscle try to wrap around him and turned in the opposite direction to escape, his shortsword went spinning through the air and—through sheer dumb luck—stabbed straight into the Frog Shooter’s single eye, killing it.

“Skreee!” A Killer Ant swiped at Bell from the opposite side.

“Hup!” Bell blocked the blow with his staff and kicked the Killer Ant in the thorax, sending it staggering backwards. It didn’t get a chance to recover as Bell shattered its head with a well-placed swing. Two more Needle Rabbits were already coming at Bell from behind, too close to get his staff between them, so he raised his left arm and blocked with the vambrace hidden under the sleeve of his red coat.

Clack

Clack

The Needle Rabbits glanced off the red cloth and the vambraces beneath, and were knocked out of the air by Bell’s staff a half-second later. The two rabbit Monsters hit the far wall with a loud cracking sound and didn’t move again. But that move gave another Killer Ant an opening to claw at Bell’s back and knock him forward.

“Damn…” Bell cursed as he felt the blow through his cloth armor. A quick pivot had his staff swing through the air and into the ant Monster’s head, taking it out with his greater strength. “Potion.” Bell reached into his special pocket where he kept his potions safe while in the Dungeon, and easily pulled one vial of the light-blue liquid out. He bit the cork with his teeth and pulled it out, swinging his staff to whack a leaping Needle Rabbit to the side, then drank down the Low Potion. “Hah…” He breathed out a sigh as his cut and bruises healed up quickly.

“Gero!” A Frog Shooter cried out as the empty vial shattered against its large eye, broken glass stabbing into the soft tissue and blinding it. Bell took the opportunity his thrown vial gave him and splattered the Frog Shooter’s head with his staff.

More Killer Ants charged at Bell, but he skipped back and managed to pull his shortsword out of the dad Frog Shooter he’d killed a moment ago. A swing of his staff shattered the head of the first ant Monster, his blade split the head of the second, and a jab from his staff knocked the third Killer Ant back before Bell cut its head off with his shortsword.

“Pyk!”

“Pyik!”

A trio of Needle Rabbits were rushing at Bell’s back and leapt into the air, aiming at his torso with their sharp horns. At the same time, a rather thick cloud of the toxic dust from almost a dozen Purple Moths fell on Bell from above as the insect Monsters fluttered about over the battle near the ceiling. Simply crouching down made the Needle Rabbits sail through the air, missing Bell entirely. He stood back up swiftly and aimed his staff at where the Needle Rabbits would land.

“Burn brightly. Lasair!” Bell cast his spell again and the entire area where the Needle Rabbit were was engulfed I fire. The rabbit Monsters barely had time to cry out in pain before they were burnt to death. A bit more Mind and the flames compressed into a dozen small fireballs that bell launched towards the incoming Killer Ants.

Boom

Boom

Boom

Boom

Boom

Boom

The Monsters had chunks blasted out of them as they burned and died amidst the flames.

“Stop that already!” Lili yelled out to the Purple Moths, using her bowgun to bring them down one after another. The thick cloud of toxic dust in the air wasn’t doing them any favors, and she knew that she was lucky to be on the edge of it, instead of in the middle like Bell.

Bell, having a brief moment of respite, pulled an Antidote from his pocket and uncorked it with his teeth before drinking it down. He tossed the glass vial at a Killer Ant, the insect Monster barely registering the object shattering against its exoskeleton, and then charged in, smashing its head with a swing of his staff while his shortsword swung upwards to cut the lashing tongue of a Frog Shooter before it could hit him.

“Kero!” The Frog Shooter rapidly withdrew its bleeding tongue. However, Bell was right behind the muscle and the last thing the Frog Shooter saw was the tip of Bell’s shortsword coming at its eye.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

“Master Bell!” Lili called out a warning as the walls cracked and more Monsters were born just as she took out the final Purple Moth. “There’s too many!”

Bell stabbed his sword into a Killer Ant’s head and took up his staff with both hands. The narrow crystal on top began to glow brightly as more and more magical power built up within it. “Burn brightly. Lasair!” The air crackled before bursting into flames as Bell unleashed his spell with more Mind than he’d ever used up to this point. More Mind was used for Spell Control and the massive cloud of fire wavered before forming dozens and dozens of intensely hot fireballs. “HYAH!!!” Bell swung his staff with all his might, pushing with both strength and magical power to send his barrage towards the incoming Monsters.

Bam

Bam

Bam

Bam

Bam

The fireballs blasted apart everything they touched, both Monsters and the very walls of the Dungeon. Flames scattered through the air and the temperature within the corridor spiked sharply, making Lili grimace as she started to sweat heavily. Smoke hung thickly in the air as the flames began to fade, revealing blackened craters all along the walls, floors, and even a few on the ceiling. Several of the Monster corpses were burning as well, and Bell noticed more than a few of the horde had vanished, reduced to black ashes as their Magic Stones had been destroyed.

“SKREEE!!!”

“Gero!”

“Pyk!”

The large group of Monsters coming from the other end of the corridor still needed to be dealt with.

Bell pulled a Mind Potion from his pocket and managed to flick the cork out with his thumb before drinking the citrus-colored liquid down and tossing the glass vial towards the charging horde, even knowing that it wouldn’t reach them from this distance. He yanked his shortsword out of the dead Killer Ant and wielded both his weapons again as the fog that had been filling his head receded while his Mind reserves were restored.

“Master Bell?” Lili called out, actual worry in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Lili.” Bell looked over his shoulder with a smile. “I’ll get us out of here. Just stay behind me.”

Lili didn’t know what to say to that. She’d never met an Adventurer that, in such a desperate situation, prioritized her safety over escaping. A brief thought flitted through Lili’s mind as she looked at Bell’s back. ‘Is this what a Familia is supposed to be like?’

“Burn brightly. Lasair!” Bell poured as much Mind as he could control into this cast, then added more for Spell Control on top of it. The cloud of flames swirled into an immense fireball, and Bell used up a bit more Mind to force the flames closer and raise their temperature substantially. The fire crackled as some of the air ignited in sparks, the yellow-orange flames turning a white-yellow color with just a hint of blue in the center. The now smaller, but much more intense, fireball rocketed down the corridor and met the charging group of Monsters.

Lili saw a flash of light that made her close her eyes.

BOOM

The sound of the blast made her instantly clap her hands over her ears.

“Gah!” Lili cried out as the shockwave hit, along with a wave of heat so intense that she let out a hiss as her exposed skin stung and her entire body started to sweat instantly in a futile effort to cool her off. She’d barely managed to stay on her feet by bracing her large backpack against the wall.

When the heat started to lessen and the sound of the blast stopped reverberating in the corridor, Lili chanced opening her eyes again. Only for them to widen in disbelief at what she saw.

The Monsters were either gone entirely, or only blackened husks remained of their torn apart bodies. Thick smoke filled the air and the entire section of corridor was scorched black, spiderwebs of cracks ran along walls, floor, and ceiling from the force of the blast. Some parts of the walls and Monster corpses still glowed orange with heat from the sheer intensity of the flames.

Yet, despite the nearly unbelievable sight, Lili’s eyes were quickly drawn to Bell.

“Ow…” Bell grunted as he sheathed his shortsword and rubbed his ear with his, now free, hand. He couldn’t hear anything beyond a sharp ringing, which wasn’t a good sign. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Low Potion, drinking it down quickly and grimacing just slightly as the ringing intensified for a second before fading away. “That’s better…” He wavered on his feet when he tried to take a step and realized that he’d used up almost all of the Mind that he’d restored from his earlier Mind Potion. “This is why Naaza keeps me topped off.” He smiled as he thought about his girlfriend while pulling out a second Mind Potion and uncorking it. Drinking it down, he waited a few seconds, letting the slight headache and head fog clear up.

“Master Bell…?” Lili approached him cautiously. She’d NEVER expected that Bell was this powerful when she’d approached him. ‘It might just be better to stay on his good side.’ Even as confident as she was in her ability to escape most situations, the thought of getting on the bad side of a powerful Mage was terrifying.

Bell looked at Lili with the same smile as before. “Sorry about that, Lili. It was a bit more than I expected.”

Lili deadpanned at that. “Lili wonders if Master Bell is actually a Level 2 Adventurer now.”

“No.” Bell denied with a shake of his head. “Still Level 1. I’ve only been an Adventurer for just under four weeks now.” He pulled his red, feathered hat back down onto his head properly, the shockwave having almost blown it off entirely.

“Master Bell must be talented to be so strong already.” Lili said while giving Bell a small smile that was a little more ‘real’ than the ones she’d given him up until now. “Thank you for not abandoning Lili.”

Bell waved off her thanks with a little smile of his own. “I’d never do that, Lili. As long as we’re working together, I’ll watch your back and you’ll watch mine.”

Lili opened her mouth, but no words came out. What was she even supposed to say to that? “You’re an odd one, Master Bell.” She said as she hefted her backpack onto her shoulders better and then trotted towards the many Monster corpses scattered around, burying her confusion with Bell in her work as she started harvesting Magic Stones.

“Eh?” Bell tilted his head slightly, confused by Lili’s words.

-Guild ~ Afternoon-

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Anna cried out in shock as Bell gave her his report for the day. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CLEARED OUT THE SEVENTH FLOOR PANTRY?!”

That got every Adventurer in the Guild to turn their head and look over towards the meeting area. Many recognized the red armor and red hat with a white feather in it, either from seeing Bell outside of Babel Tower healing other Adventurers, or from passing him or meeting him in the Dungeon itself.

“The healer guy cleared out a Pantry?”

“I mean, he’s a Mage too…”

“Isn’t he still a Level 1 though?”

“There’s no way, right?”

“Even a Party of veteran Level 1’s wouldn’t try fighting in a Pantry.”

“I only saw him with a Supporter when he came in.”

“He couldn’t have cleared it out by himself!”

The chatter in the Guild grew louder and Bell wasn’t even able to take notice of it…because Anna was nearly shaking him while giving him a lecture about doing foolish, stupid things in the Dungeon.

Unnoticed by most, a Party of Adventurers wearing the emblem of the Apollo Familia looked between each other before rushing out of the Guild building.

-Blue Pharmacy – Late Afternoon-

Bell opened the door to the shop, the little bell ringing over the door. ‘Glad I fixed that.’ He thought with a small smile as Naaza came out of the back upon hearing the bell. “I’m home, Naaza.” He smiled warmly at her.

“Welcome home, Bell.” Naaza smiled back at him, her ‘sleepy’ purple eyes filled with affection. “What do you have there?” She asked, now looking at the wrapped bundle that Bell was carrying rather carefully.

“Something you’ll like.” Bell said with a grin as he approached the counter and leaned his staff against it. With gentleness, he set the bundle on the counter and opened it to reveal the eight Blue Papilio Wings he’d managed to collect.

Naaza’s eyes widened and a little gasp escaped her. “Blue Papilio Wings…and so many!”

Bell couldn’t help but smile happily as he saw how happy Naaza was. “I promised that I’d get them for you, Naaza.”

Naaza leaned over the counter and pulled Bell into a kiss, quickly deepening it as their tongues began to play. Only when breathing became a necessity did she finally pull back with heated, heavy breaths. “Thank you so much, Bell.” She beamed at him, leaning in to affectionately nuzzle him, her fluffy tail wagging excitedly behind her.

“You’re welcome.” Bell managed to say after getting his breath back.

“I need to get these into the back.” Naaza said as she carefully wrapped the Blue Papilio Wings up again and then picked the bundle up. “We have the Dungeon moss, the Blue Papilio Wings, the Purple Moth Wings, just one more reagent…” She mumbled cutely to herself as she walked through the curtain.

Bell followed behind her, almost chuckling at how cute Naaza’s mumbling of recipes, mixes, and ratios, was as she headed towards the work room. “I’m home, Lord Miach.” He greeted his God with a smile when Miach was nearly pushed out of the workroom a moment later.

Miach chuckled and returned Bell’s smile with his own. “Welcome back, Bell. I see that ya had a good day.”

“I finally managed to get Naaza some Blue Papilio Wings.” Bell nodded with a chuckle of his own.

“Well, dinner might be a little late with how…intense…Naaza’s focus is right now.” Miach looked towards the door of the workroom for a moment before turning back to Bell. “So, how about we get you a Status Update while we wait?”

Bell nodded at the offer. “Thank you, Lord Miach.” He pulled out one of the wooden kitchen chairs before shrugging off his red coat and his armor, setting both on the kitchen table, then pulling his black shirt over his head.

Miach pulled up another of the kitchen chairs and sat down a moment after Bell sat backwards on the other chair. “Alright, let’s see how ya did, Bell.” He pricked his finger with a small needle and let a single drop of his blood touch Bell’s bare back. The familiar blue-white glow shone forth as Bell’s Falna appeared like a masterful tattoo on his back. Miach watched the Excelia, seeing the day through Bell’s eyes. “Oh…” He let out a little breath as the quiet and stealthy stakeout of the Pantry turned into an all out battle to the death.

“Yeah…” Bell said with a little sigh. “Things went a bit wrong before we could get out of the corridor.”

“Well, you both made it back fine, that’s what matters.” Miach said with a little smile as he saw Bell’s clever use of his fire spell and his Spell Control Skill. “You’ve certainly become quite adept at utilizing your fire, Bell.” He watched the rest of the day—grateful that it was ‘normal’ in comparison to the morning—and then saw something new had manifested within Bell’s Falna. “Hm?”

Bell perked up slightly. “Is something wrong, Lord Miach?”

Miach shook his head. “Nothing at all, Bell.” He translated the new thing into hieroglyphs and smiled at it. Without giving anything away, he wrote the new acquisition into Bell’s Falna and then moved the Excelia into his Basic Abilities. “Huh? That’s…” Miach’s blue eyes were wide as he watched the numbers exceed what should be possible.

“Lord Miach?” Bell looked over his shoulder again. He was certain that something was wrong as soon as he saw Miach’s expression.

“One moment…” Miach placed a blank paper onto Bell’s back and copied the Status Update over with a swipe of his finger. “You’ll need to see this, Bell.”

Bell took the paper carefully when Miach handed it to him.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – S 902 > S 973

Endurance – S 904 > S 974

Dexterity – S 931 > SS 1,006

Agility – A 894 > S 965

Magic – S 934 > SS 1,014

-Magic-

Leigheas – Incantation: “Gather the herbs to heal the body. Banish the evils of pain and sickness. Restore the body to wholeness; succeed where the father failed. Heal all who seek wellness.” Healing and Cure Magic that restores the target’s body and stamina, while also removing abnormalities like poison, paralysis, curses, and charms.

Lasair – Incantation: “Burn brightly.” Conjures fire in proportion to how much Mind is used.

-Skills-

Edelbell Asabria (A Willful Promise to a Deity) – Fast growth. The greater the effort towards the user’s goal, the greater the effect. Blocks things that would interfere with growth, such as Charms.

Spell Control – Allows the user to control their spells for a bit of extra Mind per cast, allowing for changes in range and shape while retaining their function.

Regenerate – Passive healing over time. The rate of healing is dependent on the user’s Level. Increases the effectiveness of Potions, Antidotes, and Healing Magic that are applied to user.

-Status-

“EH?!” Bell exclaimed loudly, his rubellite eyes wide in shock as he saw his stats. “D-Double ‘S’?! B-But…how?”

The loud cry had clearly gotten Naaza attention as the door to the workroom was nearly thrown open as she came rushing out.

“Bell? What’s wrong?” Naaza was at Bell’s side in an instant.

Bell blinked once and then handed her his Status Update without a word.

“How?!” Naaza’s exclamation was just as loud as Bell’s.

It would be a while later, after Miach had calmed both of his ‘children’ down, that Bell and Naaza would notice the new Skill near the bottom of the Status Update.

-Apollo Familia Home-

The Party that had overheard Bell’s astounding feat in the Guild building were all bowing their heads to their God as he laid on cushy sofa, lounging while enjoying some wine, cheese, and bread.

Apollo had red hair and wore a wreath of laurel upon his head. But occasionally, for a brief instant when the light hit it just right, the God’s hair seemed to be a shimmering blonde color, like sunlight spun into thread. One of the strange cases of duality among the mortal forms of the Deities—who often possessed many forms in Tenkai—was physical features that seemed to shift occasionally or under specific conditions. Much like he often wore, the Sun God was wearing a fine toga-like garment made of the softest of cotton and a thread count that would be considered extravagant even by the highest class of tailors and seamstresses. Over the luxurious toga, he wore a crimson red cloth that was wrapped over his shoulders and tapered to his left side. Apollo had a regal bearing, even while lounging lazily, with the good looks that most Deities were known for.

“An interesting Adventurer, you say?” Apollo raised one delicate eyebrow.

“Yes, my Lord.” The leader of the Party said. “His Advisor blurted out that he cleared out the Pantry on the Seventh Floor, with only a Supporter with him.”

One of the other men spoke up quickly. “He’s the healer that’s been working outside of Babel Tower every few days for the last month almost.”

The shortest man, a Prum with brown hair, looked up without leaving his bow. “He’s that ‘Red Mage’ guy that a lot of the Adventurers have been talking about recently!”

“Red Mage?” The Captain of the Familia, Hyakinthos Clio questioned the nickname.

He was a tall young man who had an almost Elf-like beauty to him, if not for his human ears there might’ve been some confusion. His skin was smooth and white, almost feminine in appearance, and he had a somewhat lanky body. He had well-groomed long brown hair and bluish gray eyes. He wore the black suit of the Apollo Familia and often paired it with a white cloak, though he was forgoing that at the moment.

“Y-Yes.” The Prum man nodded his head. “They call him that because of the red cloth armor and hat he wears. People say that he’s saved multiple Parties on the Upper Floors, both through healing and from using fire magic to slay large groups of Monsters.”

Apollo’s eyes lit up and a little smile spread across his face. “Really? A healer that can fight at that level is uncommon.” He looked over at Hyakinthos. “Have someone look into him…” He looked back at the Party. “What did you say his name was?”

“I think it’s Bell?” One of the men said, not ever having spoken to the ‘Red Mage’ before, only hearing about him in bar stories.

“Bell…has a nice ring to it.” Apollo said in amusement. “Yes, have someone look into this Bell for me, Hyakinthos.”

Hyakinthos bowed at the waist. “As you say, Lord Apollo.” He turned and left the room to assign someone the task.

“As for you five.” Apollo turned his eyes on the Party of his ‘children’. “You deserve a reward.” He wrote a quick note on a piece of paper next to his bottle of wine. “Take this to the one looking after the wine cellar and you’ll be permitted to take one bottle of your choosing.” He tossed them the paper after he folded it twice.

“Thank you, Lord Apollo!” The Party cheered as the leader caught the paper and they all bowed low before excusing themselves from the room to go claim their reward.

In the communal living space, Daphne and Cassandra were relaxing after another day of work. Both had been into the Dungeon and all the way down into the Middle Floors, so the long day and the trek back up to the surface had been more than enough too tire them out.

“Lauros!” Hyakinthos called out as he stepped into the living area.

Daphne barely held back a sigh of annoyance. “Yes, Captain?” She asked as she stood up from the couch.

“Lord Apollo has heard rumors of an interesting Adventurer called Bell. The rumors between the Adventurers call him ‘Red Mage’ and he’s apparently quite well-known among the Low Class Adventurers. Look into him and make a report for Lord Apollo.” Hyakinthos ordered Daphne with a tone that was filled with the expectation of his words being carried out with no disagreement. “There was no time limit given, so be thorough…but do not dawdle. Lord Apollo wants to know if this ‘Red Mage’ is someone worth being interested in.” He turned and walked away without even waiting for Daphne’s answer.

Daphne slowly sat down on the couch, her eyes looking towards Cassandra.

“Bell…” Cassandra’s words came out in a tiny whisper, her hands clenched into her black dress.

“It’ll be okay.” Daphne tried to reassured Cassandra, but they both knew what happened to those that got Apollo’s attention…or worse, the God’s passion. “I’ll delay as long as possible.” She promised her friend, knowing that Cassandra didn’t want what had happened to them to befall Bell as well.

Cassandra looked into Daphne’s eyes, her expression morose. “But Daphne…” If there was one person that Cassandra never wanted to be under Apollo’s scrutiny, it was Bell…the one man that had featured in the same dream of hers, over and over again, since she’d met him. The one dream she hoped actually would come true, for once.

Daphne put her hand on Cassandra’s and gave her a small smile. ‘She’s convinced by that recurring dream of hers that Bell will somehow get us out of Apollo Familia.’ While Daphne didn’t put any stock into Cassandra’s various dreams and what she claimed to learn from them, she DID hear the rumors going around Orario among the Adventurers. Everyone that spoke of Bell Cranel, the ‘Red Mage’, only had good things to say. ‘It would be a waste for him to be snatched away from everyone to be Apollo’s alone.’

Neither young woman knew that in the coming weeks, Bell would do things that would make it nearly impossible to keep Apollo’s eyes away from him.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Well…shit.

Bell’s reputation is growing within Orario, which is leading to more and more attention being on him.

Unfortunately, one source of said attention is a very passionate God that likes to make interesting things his own.

Cassandra and Daphne, even after only one meeting and just hearing about all the good that Bell has done, don’t want him to be the target of Apollo’s ‘passion’ like they were.

Bell, however, knows nothing about this. He and Lili spent the entire day in the Dungeon, hunting Blue Papilio and then exploring the Seventh Floor more. But Bell did prove to Lili that he isn’t like all the other Adventurers that she’s met over the years. Not only will he not abandon her, he’ll push himself as hard as possible to defend her so that they both make it home at the end of the day.

Such hard work produces results…so much so that Bell has broken the S 999 limit of the Falna!

And gotten a new Skill, but both Bell and Naaza were a bit too shocked to notice that right away.

But Bell DID secure training with Ryu in the early mornings! More time with the one that inspired him and became his goal! YES!!! Best Elf is already getting feelings and it’s so damn adorable!

What will happen next for Red Mage Bell and the Miach Familia?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!