Chapter 7
Bell Meets Zeus Familia
"Okay, just a moment here, please," Dr. Oleson said, stopping anybody from getting past him to where Bell was. "I know many of you want to check up on Bell-kun, but I should point out that my examination room isn't exactly that big, plus Bell still needs to heal. So, only 5 people at a time please."
"Sensei, do you need me to do anything," Sapphire asked as she started towards him.
"No, dear. Not right now. Bell just needs rest, but I may keep him here overnight for observation, so keep that in mind."
"Yes, sir."
The ones in the doctor's house decided among themselves who would go first. The majority of Zeus Familia concluded that there was no reason for most of them to see Bell right now, except for Kyra, Nim, Phina, and Kuda, for some reason.
"We should see him soon, though," Lezanna said. "We'll be taking care of him, after all, but we can all meet him when things are more normal for him."
"Yes," Celesta nodded. "No need to bother the boy just yet."
"So, we'll wait a while," Alystar summarized.
"Nevertheless, who goes last," Monica said, joining the discussion, her mood noticeably foul. Her grandfather was also beside her. "My grandfather and I should go first."
"And why is that?" Kyra, who didn't know the mayor or Monica, asked, her eyebrow raised. She didn't like the tone Monica was speaking in.
"We're Bell-kun's guardians."
"What?!"
Kuda cleared his throat and stepped into the middle of them. "Kyra, these two are the mayor and his granddaughter, Monica-san. They've looked after Bell-kun since the old man's death."
"I see," Kyra said, averting her gaze as if she was looking at something uncomfortable. "You two do have a right see him first."
"Thank you," the mayor said before his granddaughter could get a word in. "And I'm sorry if my granddaughter offended you, Kyra-san."
"It's alright. I get it."
"Wait, Kyra? As in the one who saved Bell-kun? That's you?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"Thank you!" Monica, overcome with emotion, embraced the Level 6 tightly in her arms, surprising her. "You saved him… I apologize for my tone. It's just… I don't want to lose him."
"...I get that," she whispered, gently separating herself from Monica. "But I just did the grunt work. Those two deserve the thanks."
Kyra gestured to Nim and Phina, who were standing a ways away from the group of adults discussing things. "Phina healed him and Nim got her there. I just killed a couple of goblins."
"It wasn't a big deal," Nim said. "I just worked as transportation."
"And my healing magic isn't that potent yet, so Bell-kun still needs to heal," Phina added.
"Even so, you all saved him. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"As do I," the mayor said, making Nim and Phina blush.
"...You know, all of us can go in together," Monica suggested. "My grandfather and I, and you three who saved Bell-kun, I mean."
"I appreciate the sentiment," Kyra said, gesturing to a certain direction where Clarabeth and her mother, Anna, were quietly standing. "I believe those two deserve to see him first. Bell saved Clarabeth, after all."
"Saved?"
"Monica-neechan, it's my fault," Clarabeth said with a sad expression. "I was clumsy, and the goblins were about to get me, but then Bell rushed in and protected me with his body. I'm-"
"Don't, Clarabeth-chan," Monica said, raising up her hand. "Don't apologize. You and he got caught up in a terrible situation that could have been a tragedy but wasn't. Thanks to Kyra-san, nobody died, and thanks to Bell-kun you didn't get hurt or worse. I'm thankful for all that and won't ask for anything else. So, don't apologize for being protected, thank Bell-kun for saving you."
"...I will," Clarabeth whispered.
"But Kyra-san," Anna said. "Are you sure you don't want to be first? You saved him. You saved everyone."
"I can wait. Bell-kun saved Clarabeth-chan, and I saved Bell-kun. The ones who were saved seek out who saved them. The savior does not seek out those he saved. Basically, what I'm saying is that you two have priority over me." She said with a forced smiled.
"I see… okay," Anna said, understanding. "We'll keep it brief."
"Take your time."
Thus, the mayor, Monica, Anna, and Clarabeth went to see Bell. Kuda said he would wait for Kyra to go, as did Phina and Nim, as they felt awkward about going without her. Left behind were the entire remnants of Zeus Familia.
"Was that okay?" Alystar asked, taking note of Kyra's expression. Her face was morbidly sullen, and she did not look anyone in the eyes. Clearly, she was depressed and bothered. "Not going with them. Of everyone here, you wanted to see him the most, right?"
"The saved want to see their savior as soon as possible, but the savior does not seek out those he or she saved," Kyra responded poetically. "In other words, if he wants to see me, he can find me. I'm leaving."
"What?" Alystar gasped and the other remnants of Zeus Familia's eyes widened. All of them save for Kuda that is.
"He doesn't need to see me," She stated with her back to her familia as she went for the door.
"You saved him," Celesta reminded her.
"Like I said, he can come find me if wants to."
"Where are you even going?" Lezanna demanded. They were visitors here. They didn't have a set place to sleep yet. Although, considering that an adventurer's trade skill was making the most of their situations, that probably wasn't a big deal. The big deal was that she was leaving when they were so close.
"Anywhere but here."
"I'm going to go to," Kuda announced, following Kyra.
"Not you, too!" Alystar seethed, feeling uncharacteristically angry.
"I just can't be here right now," he said hollowly.
"But, Kuda-san, Kyra-san, you two are-" Nim was unable to finish her sentence as they had already shut the door behind them. The remnants of Zeus Familia were left to process what just happened and unsure what to do next.
"I'm glad you're not too injured, Bell-kun," Sapphire said the moment she entered the doctor's room.
"Oh, um, thank you, Sapphire-san," Bell said shyly, which was endearing to the young, ex-soldier turned nurse/doctor's apprentice.
"You're quite welcome. How are you feeling?"
"A bit sore, but good, I guess."
"I see. Does he need anything, sensei?"
"No, I don't think so," Dr. Oleson said. "We'll do some physical therapy once he's rested up a bit."
"Understood," she nodded. "That's great. Okay, for now, there are some people here to see you, Bell-kun?"
"There are?" Bell said, surprised.
"Obviously," she said, rolling her eyes good naturedly. She went for the door and opened it. "Alright, you can come in now."
Four people came in. 3 adults and a young child. They were the mayor, Monica, Anna, and Clarabeth.
"Mayor?! Monica-san?! And Anna-san and Clarabeth-san?!" Bell's eyes widened in shock as he saw the people who came in.
"Bell-kun!" Monica cried out the moment she saw him wrapped in bandages on the bed. She ran to him panicked and would most certainly have given him the tightest bear hug she could give had Sapphire not grabbed her from behind.
"Monica, I know how you feel, really I do, but keep in mind that he's recovering. Okay?"
Monica's face reddened as she regained her senses and looked around the room. Anna and Clarabeth were looking wide-eyed at her outburst, and Dr. Oleson and her jerk of a grandfather were giggling like schoolgirls. "Sorry…"
Sapphire said it was okay and let her go. With her emotions in check, she gently wrapped her arms around Bell in an embrace. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Thank you, Monica-san."
"But why do you look so surprised that we're here? We are your guardians after all."
"Oh, I'm just…"
Not used to you. He did not say it, but that was his honest thought. It wasn't as though he hated the mayor or Monica. That certainly wasn't the case. Monica was pretty, smart, and very kind to him. She was like a sister, he guessed. The mayor was fatherly, kind, and sort of like a second grandfather to him. Both were good to him. He liked them plenty. But he just couldn't see them as a family just yet.
That was just how it was.
Monica knew that, felt that, and was frustrated by it all.
She forced out a smile and ruffled Bell's hair. "In any case, I'm just glad that you're okay and nobody died."
"Thank you, Monica-san."
"It isn't anything serious, right, Doctor?" The mayor asked.
"Nah," he said dismissively. "A little bit of rest and he'll be up and about like normal."
"Good."
"Excuse me," Anna spoke up, clearing her throat. "Hello, Bell-kun, so glad to hear that you are going to be okay."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Bell said, feeling self-conscious about getting so much attention just for being some goblin's punching bag.
"No, thank you, Bell-kun. If it wasn't for you, I don't even want to think about what would have happened to Clarabeth. You saved her life."
"I didn't…"
"Uh, Bell-kun," Clarabeth, who had been awkwardly hiding from behind her mom, said more loudly than she intended. "Thank you, really, for stepping in to save me. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. You were really cool."
"O-O-Oh, um, no. I-I-It was mine… h-honor?" Bell, with a tomato face, clumsily tried to respond to Clarabeth's earnest gratitude by like the heroes from his favorite tales but it all came out in a mess of stutters and mumbles. Clarabeth could not help but smile at the white-haired boy's awkward behavior. Half a day ago, he was covered in blood with his arms wide open, while being repeatedly stuck by the goblin's club, and remain standing like some kind of heroic demon, as if to say he wouldn't let her get hurt even if he died. That was very touching, cool, but also scary. If she were perfectly honest, she probably preferred the usual Bell.
Incidentally, they didn't know each other too well. They knew the basic stuff about each other, obviously, such as she knew Bell only had his grandfather and that he lived with the mayor and Monica now. Bell knew that she was an only child and lived with her parents who owned and operated the only clothing store in the village. Occasionally, before he died, Bell's grandfather would take him to their store where Bell and Clarabeth exchanged greetings and not much else. One time, Clarabeth even helped him pick out clothes while she was helping her mother run the shop. He basically accepted all the suggestions she gave, so she teased Bell about being a typical boy who didn't care about fashion or how he looked. Bell, in his usual embarrassed way, retorted by saying that he did care, and he just trusted her opinion. That made her really happy, because she wanted to run a clothing shop like her parents one day, so having people trust her opinion of clothes was really important. Hearing that Bell trusted her taste was really uplifting.
In a certain way, Bell was her first customer.
After that, Clarabeth thought it would be nice if Bell and she got closer and became friends, but it hasn't happened yet. Now that she thought about it, that particular scenario happened a few weeks before Bell's grandfather died, so it makes sense that their relationship was stalled. Maybe she should make an effort?
"Really, Bell-kun, Thanks for the save," she said with an unintentionally charming smile. "And I'm glad you are okay."
"...It was n-nothing," Bell squeaked, his face even redder than before. The adults found the scene that was playing out before their very eyes so adorably endearing, that they couldn't stop smiling and laughing under their breaths. Clarabeth didn't seem to be bothered by it, but Bell found the attention completely mortifying. Amid it all, he remembered something. "Wait who saved us?"
"Huh?"
"The doctor said that we were saved by someone. Adventurers, he said."
"Oh, that's right," Clarabeth said, her face lighting up. Before, her anxiety about Bell had kept her from expressing how she felt up to now. "You were unconscious up till now, so you wouldn't know. Oh, my gods, it was so amazing. Nim-san used magic to teleport Phina-san to the cemetery, and Phina-san healed you with her own magic. Um, Nim-san is a chienthrope and Phina-san is an elf. Isn't that just amazing? But the one who actually saved us was Kyra-san, she's a human. She was so amazing! That ugly green goblin was going to finish you off, but she swooped in from out of nowhere and killed it before it could finish the job. It was breathtaking. She was just like the heroes from legends."
"Wow… she was really that amazing? I can't believe we were saved by such a person."
"indeed, "Anna nodded. "We truly owe those ladies a debt of gratitude. Without them, some of us would be dead."
"I'll do my best to honor them," The mayor added.
"I'll admit, I am grateful to them," Monica said, with conflicted expression.
"Truly, it was lucky that Zeus Familia was here today," Sapphire said, adding her two cents.
"Zeus Familia…?" Bell said, confused.
"Right, kids your age probably wouldn't have heard of them, huh," Dr. Oleson said. "Basically, they were one of the two top familias of Orario for a thousand years up until over a decade ago, but after taking on something called thee Three Great Quests, their forces were almost entirely wiped out and the remnants were cast out of Orario."
"Wow…" Bell's eyes sparkled at the words "legendary familia". "But why did people like that save me? Or rather, why are they here?"
"Good question," Sapphire said with notable irritation as she turned her attention to the village's elderly mayor. "I think most of us have heard bits and pieces, but maybe you can answer the whys, Mayor-san?"
"It's a long story," the mayor sighed. "But they're in the living room. Let's clear out and let them-"
"Sorry to intrude," A man's voice said. An adult werewolf with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a cloak over his body came into the doctor's examination room. "But I'm coming in."
"Alystar Fenras," Sapphire gasped, surprised that one of the big three of Zeus Familia's Heroes Generation had just walked in. "Why are you here?"
"Well, you said that five at a time could come, so I came."
"Right now?"
"Plus, I came to tell you that Kuda and Kyra just left the house."
"What? Why?!" Sapphire, Monica, Anna, and Clarabeth blurted. The mayor and doctor were surprised as well.
"Because Kuda is an idiot and Kyra needed to think about things."
"What kind of things?" Monica asked.
"Heavy things," he replied, before his attention was captured by the boy on the bed. His sky-blue eyes widened when they met the boy's ruby red eyes. It was as if he was looking at something totally unexpected. He quickly regained his composure and spoke. "I take it you are Bell Cranel?"
"U-Uh… Y-Yessir," Bell gulped as he felt nervous being addressed by a man like that. There was a fierceness in the werewolf's eyes they young boy had never experienced before and that intimidated him. He didn't need an explanation to know that this man-Alystar Fenras-was a really strong warrior.
"I'm Alystar Fenras. How do you feel?"
"Um… a bit sore, but I'll be okay."
Alystar faced the doctor. "Can he move?"
"Not today," Dr. Oleson shook his head. "His right shoulder is cracked. He shouldn't move too much for the next couple of days and it will take several weeks for him to fully heal."
Bell winced. He didn't expect his injury to be that, given the pain.
"I imagine the reason he's saying that he isn't feeling much worse is because the magic Phina-chan used on him had something of a pain killing effect on him."
"That's probably it, but a few weeks is too long," he said as he pulled out a vial containing a blue substance from inside his cloak and held it over Bell's head. "This is a healing potion. One gulp will make it seem like you were never injured in the first place. You can have it if you come with me to go find Kuda and Kyra."
Every eye the room popped open by the sudden offer.
"What?" Bell said, confused.
"What are you playing at?" Monica demanded, stepping in between Bell and Alystar. "Why should Bell have to go with you right now?"
"He doesn't have to," he responded. "It's his choice. He can stay here and rest naturally or he can go with me to find those two. It's his choice and I will have no choice, but to accept whatever that is."
Monica was taken aback by Alystar's straightforward answer. "...What do you even want?"
"I just said it."
"I think what my granddaughter is referring to is your reasoning, Alystar-san," the mayor said. "Why do you want Bell-kun to go find two people who left of their own accord? What's your goal in doing that?"
"What I want…" The werewolf hesitated. He had a conflicted look on his face. After Kuda and Kyra left, his familia discussed what they should do now. It was Barren, the oldest surviving Zeus Familia member and who was like a father or uncle to everybody else, that said that those two are seeing the consequences of their choices. "I want to make sure that they don't have any regrets."
"Regrets are a part of life," he retorted coolly. "You can't prevent regrets."
He was right. Alystar knew he was right. He had regrets, Celesta had regrets, Lezanna had regrets, the whole familia had regrets. But Kuda and Kyra's were different. They were actually forced to watch their regrets. To actually see the path not taken. And that hurt them. It hurt them deeply. The worst part was it was all their choice. Nobody forced them into anything.
But even so…
"I want to limit their regrets," the Werewolf King said resolutely, his deep blue eyes drilling into all who were looking. What he was doing may not be necessary. He may actually be making things worse by pushing this, but when he thought back to the faces his two closest friends were making… he wanted to do something. Anything that would cheer them up and lift their spirits. "They're my familia. I gotta do what I have to do to help them."
Even if in doing so forced him into this uncomfortable position. He was your typical introvert. A classic example of the strong silent type. Being the center of attention was not his idea of a good time. He'd rather use force in this sort of situation, but something told him that that would get him an earful from Kyra and Celesta. 'Honestly, for Kuda, getting me into these awkward situations is like breathing that guy, but now even Kyra is causing me grief.'
The group of villagers' eyes widened a bit from the powerful werewolf's earnest desire. Whatever collectively idea they had of the legendary familia, it certainly didn't align with this and what he was doing now.
"...you know, I never imagined that the legendary Zeus Familia would be this sentimental," Monica said, voicing her thoughts. "I kind of thought you all would keep a professional relationship."
"I did too," Sapphire added.
"...my life would certainly be easier if that were the case," he mumbled. Alystar then brought his attention back on the boy, who naturally looked confused. Of course, he would be unable to understand the finer points of the discussion if he lacked any context. "So, kid, are you in?"
Bell, naturally, could not keep up with most of the conversation. Of course, he couldn't. He didn't even know why a group of adventurers were even here in their tiny village. He didn't even know who Zeus Familia even was since, by this point, his generation would likely never hear much about the legendary familia. Honestly, it was almost frightening how little he knew about anything right now.
But there was one thing he did know.
"You want me to go with you to find this Kyra-san person, right?"
"That's right," the werewolf nodded.
"And she was the one who saved us?"
"Her and a couple of others, but she was the one who killed all of the goblins."
"Then I should go to see her to thank her. Since she saved me, I have to find her."
Alystar burst out with laughter, surprising everyone in the room.
"Hey, what's your problem," Monica demanded, going to Bell's defense. "Bell-kun was being honest with you and you just laugh in his face?"
"Sorry," he said after calming down, a wild, yet cool grin spread across his face. "That just sounded like something someone I know said. Kid, I don't know why but I like you. Drink up." He tossed the vial of healing potion onto the sheet of Bell's bed.
Bell picked up the vial containing the dark blue liquid. He had never had healing potion used on himself, but he's seen it a few times, just not this close. One time especially stayed in his head. A couple years ago, there was an accident in the mines and one of the human miners got seriously injured. There was so much blood that his grandfather ordered him to look away. It was so scary. Bell thought that the man would die, but the doctor and Sapphire responded fast and gave the mortally wounded man an entire vial of healing potion. The man's life was saved in an instant. That day taught little Bell never to doubt the miraculous potency of potions. So, he was reluctant to use a vial to heal his relatively minor injuries. "Should I drink it all?"
"Yeah, that's fine."
"But is that okay? These are expensive, right?"
"Don't mind it. Just drink."
Bell hesitated before opening the vial. He, like most children, despised the taste of medicine, but he didn't want to look spoiled in front of the adventurer, whose profession he's admired since forever. In one quick gulp, he guzzled down the blue substance as quickly as he could. It didn't taste that bad. The feeling was almost instantaneous. It was like all the pain he was feeling had gone away. Almost as though he was never injured in the first place.
"Bell, how do you feel?" Clarabeth asked.
"I feel… good."
"Nice, right?" Alystar smirked. "Potions are definitely an adventurers' best friend."
"Thank you for giving it to me."
"Don't mention it. But you remember our deal, right?"
He nodded. "Yes, let's go."
Meanwhile, Kuda and Kyra wandered the tiny village aimlessly. It was already past sunset. The two adventurers wandered around the village in the dark. The village lacked the convenience of magic stone lamps, but it didn't matter to the two powerful humans due to their strong eyesight built in conjunction with their status and vast experience in the dungeon. They didn't have a place they wanted to go, not a place to stay. The only thing they desired was to not be at the doctor's house where Bell was. It was just too painful.
"It probably wasn't cool to just leave the guys like that," Kuda said offhandedly, trying to end the awkward silence. "I mean those guys by themselves. I feel bad for the doctor and Sapphire for being left with them."
Kyra didn't even chuckle. She just continued to walk silently while blankly staring at her feet. "Do you regret it?"
He didn't bother to ask what she meant. "Of course. I always will, but… I don't regret my choice. I regret what was lost in making my choice, but…"
He didn't, or rather wouldn't regret his choice. If he did, then what was the point of it all? He knew what he'd be losing following the path he went on.
Still...
"I don't regret it either."
"You don't?"
"It's painful, but nobody forced me or you to do anything. We made our bed, now we gotta lie in them."
"Kyra…"
"I don't blame you either."
Kuda's eyes widened.
"That was something you were worrying about, wasn't it?"
"H-How did…"
"Are you seriously asking me that? Don't forget who you are married to. I am the Shadow of Zeus Familia."
Kyra was one of the most famous adventurers in Orario prior to their fall ten years ago. She was one of the few elites who fought in the rearguard instead of the frontlines when they went on expeditions. It wasn't because she was unsuited for the front line. On the contrary, her magic, Kaminari, and her skill with knives made her a force to be reckoned. But despite that, she more often chose to fight in the back.
That was because she wanted to protect her friends.
The Dungeon was unforgiving. Everybody knew that. The deeper you dived, the more chaotic it became. Everybody knew that as well. So, no matter how powerful and skillful an adventurer was, it'd be difficult to always protect yourself. There were gaps in defense. Fatigue from extended battles. No monster would have a problem with exploiting these kinds of weaknesses. That's why Kyra was in the rearguard. With her speed and skill, she could instantly slay any monster who would dare to attempt to kill one of her comrades and return to her original position in a snap. Also, she was incredibly observant. If any of her comrades became injured or tried to hide their injuries, she would know and deal with it accordingly. Like a shadow, she was there one second, but you saw nothing the next second. Her actions earned her the nickname the Shadow of Zeus Familia.
Most likely as a result of keeping an eye on the whole front line, her observation skills became so good that she could actually read a person's emotional and psychological states.
Swift, intelligent, efficient, cunning, and observant. These were the traits of the one that was once called Assassin.
Kuda lowered his head, placed his hand over his eyes, and laughed self mockingly. "Was I that obvious?"
"Pretty much," She smirked. "I doubt I'm the only one who knows. You can do a lot of things, but hiding your feelings isn't one of them."
Kuda, for such a long time, felt guilt as the leader for taking the remnants of his familia on what seemed like a pointless, impossible quest. But he never said anything. That would be showing weakness, and as the leader, he could not show weakness. Not even to his wife.
But that was fine. Being the heart on his sleeve kind of guy he was, his familia knew what was going on inside his head. Thus, they silently supported him in their own way.
Kuda frowned. "Is that why you guys never complain? For my sake?"
"Moron," Kyra said, speed walking towards him and the pinched his right cheek tightly. They were both quite tall and Kyra was less than half a head shorter than Kuda.
"O-Ow! Kyra, that hurts!"
"If you say something dumb like that, it makes me want to hurt you." Kyra's eyes were facing Kuda's eyes piercingly. "Al, Celes, Lez, the twins, and everyone else. Do you really think they stayed with you this long out of pity? Do you think any of us did? Do you think I did?"
Kuda, unable to come up with a response, said nothing as Kyra released her hold on his cheek.
"We followed you because… never mind."
"Say what?!" Kuda snapped.
"Forget I said anything."
"Forget?!" Kuda had been listening fervently, but then Kyra suddenly stopped her monologue and said, "never mind". Anyone would become bothered by that.
"It's best that I don't say. Wouldn't want you getting a big ego."
"I don't have an ego."
"Because we don't stroke it, you womanizer."
Her insult couldn't even be called halfhearted, but it still greatly irritated him. His wife truly was a difficult woman.
"Just know, nobody was forced into anything. Everyone is here by choice. Nobody feels like their life was wasted or anything, because… just don't underestimate the Zeus Familia. You used to say things like that a lot, I remember." She added with a beautiful smile that stole Kuda's heart.
"Kyra… thank you," Kuda sighed, his gaze on the ground around his feet. His familia didn't blame him. They didn't hate him. Kyra didn't hate him. Those words… knowing it was true… it almost made him want to shed tears of joy. Actually, he did a little.
"A-Are you crying?"
"N-No!" He lied, trying to quickly wipe away the tears that had formed in his eyes. "I'm just… a bit happy. Or something like that."
"Sure…" Kyra said, grinning to show she clearly did not believe him.
"So…" Kuda was looking like he was about to say something awkward.
"Hm?"
"We should go back… the doctors house… to see him."
Despite herself, Kyra flinched.
"We shouldn't put it off. I think you know that, too."
"... I." Now it was Kyra's turn to stare at her feet. She knew it. She most definitely knew Kuda was right, but… it was hard. What were they going to do when they were there? Go to see if he was feeling okay? Then after that? Take him away from the peace that he had here in this little village to train to be an adventurer? Take him away from people who love him? All while never having the courage to tell him… it was too much. She could not even look at the eyes she hadn't seen in ten long years and act like nothing ever happened. "It's hard- "
A flash of lightning followed by a loud thunderclap, and then by drops of rain suddenly falling from the sky and quickly speeding up to create a heavy rainfall interrupted Kyra.
This is what the gods called "divine horrible timing".
"Are you kidding me?!" Kyra snapped at the sky, staring fiercely at the black, cloudy sky above her as if trying to intimidate whatever deity it was that caused a rainstorm to happen in the middle of her internal crisis. The fact that she just plain hated all forms of precipitation due to her rough childhood did not soothe her mood. "Why the heck must it rain now?!"
"E-Even if you yell, the weather won't change," Kuda said hesitantly, fearful of Kyra when she got this mad. It was raining very intensely. They were already totally soaked by this point. Even if top class adventurers didn't get sick easily due to their absurdly high statuses, it was still not wise to remain wet. Besides, it's not like being strongly immune made being wet any more enjoyable. "Let's find shelter."
"Where?" Kyra asked. They were a good way away from the doctor's house, but they were top class adventurers who could easily and swiftly run back there, but...
"Let's just find a tree to hide under." Kuda didn't want to force Kyra to go back to the doctor's home if it made her uncomfortable. Before the rain had started, he was planning to convince her with his words to go, but since the rain was pouring down hard, it'd be better to do it in shelter. "Okay, where is… Huh?"
Kuda scanned the area around him when he noticed a nearby house. The house itself was not particularly eye catching, but the mailbox with a family name carved into it. Because he was a first-class adventurer, Kuda could read that name even in the darkness of the night. It said…
"Cranel...?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Kyra, look at that house," he said, pointing at the house with the mailbox of a certain family, sounding desperate. "At the mailbox."
"Mailbox…?" Kyra obeyed her husband's order and looked at the mailbox of the house he was pointing to and she saw the name that was carved into it and looked surprised. Not willing to trust her vision on this one, she sprinted through the rain to the front of the house with the mailbox. She looked like she would stare at the mailbox for a whole day just to make sure it wasn't her eyes playing tricks on her. "Cranel… as in where Bell-kun and the old man lived. This is that house?"
"It looks like it," Kuda said after he ran to her. The house was likely only two stories big at the most. Too small for a large familia but more than enough for a family of two. It was a white house with two windows and a front yard encased in a whitewashed wooden fence. There was a small hard in front where vegetables, mainly potatoes, grew. It was a plain, ordinary home that pales in comparison to Zeus Familia's original home, Olympus Manor, but it was theirs, Bell and "The old man's". Kuda and Kyra could not help but stare at it. "I'm not sure what I actually expected, but this is it, huh?"
"Let's go in," Kyra said, suddenly, surprising him.
"You think that'd be okay?"
"I'm thinking no," Kyra confessed. "But it isn't as though we have no right. Besides, I'd like to get out of the rain."
"I meant; would it be okay."
"Oh," she said, understanding the deeper meaning of his question. The whole read they left the doctor's house before was due to it hurting how much of Bell's life they had missed. If they couldn't even handle that, then how bad would it be to see the home he had grew up in? "I don't know… but I still want to see it."
Kuda nodded, then he grabbed Kyra's hand and smiled warmly at her. "Alright, let's go."
Grunting, she smiled back and gripped his hand tightly. So, they crossed into the house yard and entered the unlocked home, musing to themselves that country people really were lax in security.
Back at Dr. Oleson's house, awhile before Kyra and Kuda arrived at Bell's house, Alystar had brought the fully healed Bell into the living room of the house where the Zeus Familia were waiting. They immediately took notice of the boy walking behind him and recognized him as the reason they came to this village in the first place.
Barren, the most senior member of the entire familia, was the first to address the powerful werewolf. "What are you up to, Al?"
"I'm going to take the kid to them," Alystar answered coolly, shocking his familia.
"Uh… why?" Lezanna was the first to ask, her face stupefied.
"Yes, why," Celesta asked. "When you know how they feel… why would you?"
"It's because I know how they feel that I'm doing this."
"I can't support that," Wilna, the strawberry blonde prum whose age was greater than her tiny stature suggested, protested. "You saw their expressions before they left, didn't you? Well, I felt it!"
"Wilna…" Wilbur, her younger twin, placed a consoling hand on his twin's shoulder.
Wilna had the unique skill to feel the emotions of people on an empathic level. In a word, she could feel their inner states and determine whether they were good or bad, trustworthy or dishonest, sad or happy. Because of this skill, she typically formed her opinions of people based on their inner selves. She basically decided whether to trust people based on what she sensed, and to her, Kuda and Kyra were the best and strongest.
So, seeing, or rather feeling, them like that was overwhelming for her. She, who was actually a levelheaded person normally, was willing to voice her opinion to one of their strongest surviving members that it would be a mistake to bring Bell to them right now. They wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Even so… this is necessary."
Alystar coldly shot down Wilna's earnest, concerned opinion, earning glares from her brother and some of the other remnants who couldn't tolerate Alystar's cold response to the emotional Wilna.
"But why is it necessary?" Celesta asked once again. "If it's only going to cause them more grief and pain, then they shouldn't meet him yet."
"I thought you were smart, Celesta?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" She said calmly. While others would have been insulted, Celesta was mature enough to not take his words personally and understand their true meaning. Alystar was telling her to think about it.
"Their pain is born from regrets. So, is running away from those regrets going to cause that pain to go away?"
The glares turned to wide eyes. They didn't see it like that. That was mostly because they thought that Kyra and Kuda's pain came from seeing Bell. That wasn't wrong, but it wasn't all there was to it. Their pain came from the fact that they were only now seeing him. They couldn't see him grow, nor could they make that up. Their pain was regret.
"Ahem," Barron cleared his throat to get the familia's attention, which broke their train of thought. "Before this discussion gets any more heated, I think you all should remember that a child is present."
Barron gestured to Bell, who silently stood behind Alystar's legs, was staying quiet and becoming very agitated and nervous due to all of the arguing happening in front of him by people he had never met before. And he was smart enough to know that he was at the center of their debate, not that he understood why, but that was enough to make him even more uncomfortable.
The Zeus Familia remnants all became very embarrassed and ashamed of the fact that they let themselves get into an argument in front of a little child. Especially this child. Some remnants of a legendary fallen familia they were. It was disgraceful.
"Hey, kid," Barren approached Bell and knelt down to eye level. Like most dwarves, Barren was short but stout. His black beard was well groomed, and his skin was rough yet youthful, which was a testament to his status as a first-class adventurer (not that Bell would understand something like that currently). Underneath the white cloak he wore, he wore a brown tunic and Bell could see the silhouette of some kind of bladed weapon strapped to his waist. Seeing it, he began to fully process the fact that Barren, Alystar, and every unfamiliar face in the doctor's home was an adventurer. A hero not unlike the ones from the heroic tales. Coming to that conclusion, he became a bit star struck. "I'm sorry that these bozos are causing a ruckus in someone else's home. Their adults but still brats inside."
A collection of "hmphs" and rolling of the eyes occurred among the Zeus remnants.
"I understand that you are likely very confused by all of us being here. I apologize for that. I'm guessing Al here, being not the best at conversation, didn't explain why we're all here?"
The werewolf in question rolled his eyes like a teenager who was being embarrassed by his father.
"I didn't even know there would be so many of you," Bell mumbled shyly, his face red and his eyes at his feet. Clearly, he didn't feel comfortable being the center of attention. His red face and shy movements had most of the Zeus Familia remnants charmed.
"I assumed as much. Let me introduce myself. I'm Barren Trogger. Feel free to call me Barren. Everyone here are the members of my familia. We're all what's left of Zeus Familia… I don't suppose you've heard of us?"
"I haven't," Bell admitted, his eyes widened when Barren said familia. "But are you guys really adventurers?!"
"Well," Barren said, grinning a bit at the boy's excitement. It's been awhile since he, or any of them, had experienced the innocent expression of a child looking at them with awe. "It's complicated these days. But we were a long time ago."
"From Orario?"
"We were."
"Then you have gone into the Dungeon and explored it?"
"Bell," the dwarf said in a tone that needed to be heard. "I understand your excitement, but I would like you to listen to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Barren-san. I'm sorry."
"It's no biggie," he smiled warmly. The Zeus Remnants felt a strange sense of Deja vu watching Barren converse with young Bell Cranel. It was a lot like how he would talk to them in their younger and less experienced days, or even how he would talk to them now. Barren Trogger was the oldest surviving member of Zeus Familia. Back before their familia's fall from grace, there were several senior executive members that the younger Zeus children viewed as parental figures and Barren was definitely one of the dads. He would often talk to them in a stern, but caring way just like how he was doing with Bell. It almost made them all nostalgic for those simpler days. They hated that. Those days were long gone, and nothing was going to change that. "Now, first off, we all came here because of your grandfather."
"My grandpa?"
"Yes, he was one of us. Also, my condolences for your loss."
Bell couldn't help but feel that Barren's condolences were forced. Or at least half forced it was as if he was just saying the condolences but was genuinely sorry that Bell had experienced a loss. It was a confusing feeling, but that wasn't what the young boy was focused on at the moment. "Grandpa was an adventurer?"
"...he was a member of our familia. So, when we heard he died, we all came here to see you."
"But why?"
If he said they came to pay their respects to his grandfather, he wouldn't question it. But Barren specifically said that they came for him specifically. That didn't make sense to him. Whatever his grandfather's relationship was with them, Bell had nothing to do with the Zeus Familia besides being his grandpa's grandson.
"It's complicated, but the long and short of it is that the old man wanted us to take care of you after he couldn't."
"Really? I didn't know. He never said that to me."
"I guess he wouldn't, huh?" Barren sighed, feeling that things would be much easier if everything was out in the open. "Nevertheless, we need you to help us get two of our members to come back."
"I mean that was why I came out here… but why exactly did they leave in the first place? Was it because of me?"
"Kind of."
"Barren!?" Celesta gasped, shocked by the old dwarf's bluntness.
"But it's mostly their own weakness. Even so, we all want them to face that weakness. For their own sakes. Because we love them, we want to take care of them. We're a familia. It's what we do."
Bell's eyes widened at the intensity of Barren's words. He could tell that he meant every word he said.
"So, knowing all that, will you go bring those two back here? I think, right now, you're the only one who could do that right now."
Bell hesitated. He wanted to choose the right words for this. "...I don't understand why it has to be me. I've never met those two. I've never met any of you. My grandpa never even told me he was friends with adventurers… but she still saved me. I would still like to thank her, and if possible, help her. The same goes for the for the other person who left."
The Zeus remnants were surprised by what Bell had said. They had thought beforehand that Alystar had forced or manipulated the kid into coming along with him, but in reality, Bell understood what was being asked of him and did it because it was what he thought right. In other words, he was just a good kid that wanted to fulfill his obligations.
"Kid," Barren smirked, ruffling Bell's pure white hair. "You're an adorable one. Much more sincere than any of these lot were at your age."
They all said nothing as they snorted and blew out air in annoyance. Since they really couldn't say anything about it, they wouldn't say anything.
"Hey, Bell-kun," Nim spoke up. She and Phina approached Bell with giddy excitement. "I'm Nymphadora Diapulm, but you must call me Nim. No room for argument there."
"I'm Delaphina Olrichs, but you have to call me Phina."
"H-Hello Nim-san, Phina-san," Bell said shyly but politely. "It's nice to meet you."
"Thank you, but it's not actually our first encounter," Nim explained. "We met at the cemetery before. Of course, you were unconscious back then."
"And bloody," Phina added playfully. "But I must say, you look way cuter all cleaned up."
"Agreed," Nim nodded.
Bell blushed and looked down at his feet, unsure of how to react to the two pretty girls complimenting him like that. Despite being his grandfather's grandson, his experiences with girls was actually rather limited. "...You two also saved me?"
"Well, in my case, I used my magic to help Phina get there quickly," Nim explained.
"I used my healing to help you," Phina said pridefully."
"It was Kyra-san who actually fought."
Bell became giddy at the word 'magic' and looked up at the chienthrope and elf girls with starry eyes, as if they were like the heroes he admired so much. Being looked at like that by the young and cute boy made the both of them blush and their hearts skip a beat. He was hardly the first individual they had helped save, but he was the first to look at them with such admiration. Usually, the older members would get the praise and glory, which they were fine with since they were the ones who did the actual fighting, but they definitely appreciated the look that Bell was giving them. "That's amazing! You both are amazing! Thank you so much for helping to rescue me!"
'Oh, my Zeus! He's so precious!' They internally gushed. They both wanted to pick him up and smother him, and they might have just done that had Alystar not finally lost his patience.
"Enough," he said as he grabbed Bell by his shirt and threw him over his shoulder. "We wasted far too much time deciding something that we already agreed to. So, Barren's on board. Are the rest of you going to try and stop me?"
His striking blue eyes bore into each and every one of his fellow familia members. Alystar made it clear that if they tried to stop him, he would use force to get through them. He would not let himself be stopped by anyone or anything, be they friend or foe. That was definitely one quality he hadn't lost since before he joined the Zeus Familia.
"...No," Wilna sighed. "I won't try to stop you. Sorry, I over spoke before. I was speaking from my point of view without considering your thoughts."
"I apologize, too," Celesta said, lowering her head to the werewolf. "I spoke too harshly before."
"Yeah, I got too heated, too," Lezanna said.
"We're sorry."
"Yeah, I'm also sorry."
"Sorry, Al-san."
"Sorry, big bro Al."
"Forgive-"
"Okay, I get it!" Alystar snapped as all of the Zeus remnants began apologizing to him one by one. "It's fine, okay?! Quit saying you're all sorry. If I wait for all of you to apologize, it will be tomorrow. I'm going now." He started for the door, his familia moved out of his way, and when he opened the door, he saw that it was raining, souring his mood even further. "Oh, great! It's raining. I can't track them with my nose now. Whatever, I'll just do it the old-fashioned way. Kid, I'll carry you under my cloak, so you don't get wet."
"Okay," Bell, who had been quiet as Alystar slung him over his shoulder like a laundry bag, nodded. Alystar let him off his shoulder for a second, then took off his cloak, revealing he was wearing a white coat over a dark shirt and blue pants, letting Bell piggyback on him, then he put the cloak over him with Bell on his back. Bell's head was covered by the hood of the cloak while only Alystar's body was covered. "Um, won't you get wet?"
"That's irrelevant," he said as he left the house with Bell on his back. "We've wasted too much time. Hold on tight. I'm really fast."
That was an understatement if there ever was one. Even before Zeus Familia's fall from power, Alystar was one of the city's fastest. Certainly, Bell would've appreciated Alystar explaining that before he got moving.
"Ahhh!" Bell screamed when Alystar leaped up high into the sky, easily reaching heights that surpassed the houses and buildings. Amazingly, the hood covering Bell's head did not slip off. He gasped when he looked down and time stopped for him. He could see his entire village, which was lit with all of the houses having their lights on, from this height. Alystar had jumped high enough that Bell could see that the village he grew up in was circular in shape and surrounded by trees. 'How can anyone jump so high?!'
"I don't see them," he said as they were pulled back down to the earth.
How could he see anyone to begin with? They were hundreds of feet in the air and it was dark and cloudy. Even, if it was sunny and clear, all people would look like little dots from this height; completely indistinguishable from one another. Yet he said it so confidently that Bell could only believe him. This was Bell's first conscious taste of the broken powers of a first-class adventurer and going forward he would only continue to see how amazing they were.
"Guess we'll just have to search the whole village. Damn those two, making me work so much."
He controlled his body to land in a totally different area. They were going to crash, Bell thought. He was scared, but he didn't scream. He was too scared to scream. He only squeezed Alystar's neck as tightly as he could, which didn't seem to bother Alystar at all. The strength of a 10-year-old boy that regularly did field work didn't seem to even register with the Level Six werewolf. Bell was shocked that when they landed, it didn't even feel as rough as jumping off his bed. Without a word, Alystar continued his search for his two friends, moving at speeds that Bell didn't even know were possible.
"So, this is where they lived, huh?" Kyra said as they entered the Cranel home. "Where he grew up…"
"Yeah, so it seems," Kuda said, looking around. It was a perfectly normal home. It was a 1 story house. When you entered it, the living room area was on the right and the kitchen was on the left not divided by any wall. Down the hall were two bedrooms and a bathroom. The living room had couches, a coffee table, and a fireplace. The kitchen had a circular table, a magic stone freeze room and gas stove as well as cabinets for plates and pots. A perfectly normal and plain home that paled in comparison to the former home of Zeus Familia. Of course, it didn't need to compare. It was a home for a family, not a familia. "Pretty quaint, huh?"
"Quite a step down from our old home, that's for sure."
"I doubt the Old Man really cared about that. At least as long as I've known him, it didn't matter if he was sitting on a throne or a cheap wooden chair. All he cared about was having a comfortable seat to watch us do our thing."
That was something that would probably surprise those who didn't know the god of lighting. Contrary to what one would expect from one who referred to as a "ruler of gods", he liked to keep things simple. So long as he had a beautiful woman at his side, a drink in his hand, and could watch his children perform great and heroic feats, he'd be satisfied in a palace or a hovel. It was something that could be considered admirable to them.
"Yeah… it wasn't a desire for grandeur that always caused us grief back in the day…" Kyra recalled listlessly.
"Yeah…" Kuda nodded, knowing exactly what Kyra was referring to.
"It was women," they said in unison.
Zeus was a philanderer. He could charm just about any mortal woman, and even some goddesses foolish enough to listen, with his sweet talk. As a result, he was constantly angering his heavenly wife, Hera.
It always went like this. Zeus would romance a woman, she'd fall for him, then Hera would hear about it some way or another, then she'd order her familia to hunt the unfortunate woman down, then Zeus would have them protect her, and then a war would break out between the top 2 factions.
So, it was for the past one thousand years. It was practically a given that the children of Zeus and Hera would be dragged into the conflicts that arose from their 'lovers' spats". Why they all stayed with them, not even they could say. However, one could say that the constant clashes between the two ultimate familia's was one of the reasons they had remained the strongest for so long.
"Remember, the bout we had with Hera Familia when she tried to have Betty-san killed?" Kuda asked.
"Yeah, that was the battle that allowed you to level up for the first time, right?"
"Yeah. Of course, Sakurai nearly killed me in the process."
"Isn't that way it's supposed to go? Risk your life a hundred times and you level up."
"It kind of loses the romance when you say it like that. I mean it isn't that simple, you know?"
"But that is one of the main things, isn't it? Of course, I'm not discounting the ultimate requirement."
To level up, to break out of their shell, adventurers fought the monsters born in the Dungeon. In order to reach the next level, they risked their lives diving into the hellish depths of the birthplace of humanity's enemies. Of course, just fighting and killing monsters wasn't going to let you rank up. Abandoning your fear, fighting with your courage, and showing a feat worthy of the gods praise… that was what allowed you to level up.
In Kuda's case, defeating his Hera Familia rival Sakurai, the One Sword, allowed him to reach Level 2. In Kyra's case, she defeated her Hera rival, Alfia, aka Silence, in a certain clash when they were both Level Ones. The stories of these of special events are for another time.
"Anyway," Kyra said, returning her attention back to the home. "Shall we look around?"
"Okay."
They went to the living room area and took immediate notice of the bookshelf. Its contents were almost entirely filled with heroic tales. They both cracked a smile. How typical. The old man certainly did love to tell stories as much as he loved women.
"Bell must love heroic tales," Kyra guessed, despite having never exchanged a word with the boy, yet.
"Probably," Kuda nodded. It was practically another given that those who grew up as children of the sky god would grow up hearing all kinds of heroic tales. He looked at the shelf's contents. The variety of books were organized almost exactly like how it was back at their old home's library. Now that he thought about it, the books probably were the ones they had at their old home. It wasn't as though he helped Zeus pack back then, so he couldn't really know for sure. Kuda took note of a certain book. "'The Legend of Argonaut', huh? I remember not really being satisfied with it as a kid."
"Really?" Kyra said, slightly surprised. "I always really enjoyed it."
"Girl's always seemed to like it more than boys even though the story was tailored towards boys. What did you like about it?"
"Hmm… hard to say. I guess I liked how the main character's honesty and trusting nature."
"Even though you tend to be so dishonest and distrustful?"
"Low blow, Kuda. What does it say about the man who married such a dishonest and distrusting woman?"
"It says there more to you than all that," he grinned in a way that annoyed Kyra because of how cute she thought it was. "In any case, that honest and trusting nature got him into a lot of trouble, you know?"
"And even when he was tricked, he still remained trusting."
"The main mission was to save the princess, but in the end, he got saved by her. Kind of a failure of a hero, don't you think?"
"But if he had done nothing, the princess would most definitely had been killed and the kingdom would keep falling into ruin."
Kuda couldn't retort.
"As a warrior, he was certainly lackluster, but a hero isn't someone who is great with a sword or can destroy a million monsters, they're the guys who protect and save others even when the odds are against them. As a result, they inspire others to stand and fight as well. A hero is more than a great warrior, they're the ones who rock the boat."
"..."
"Not that I need to tell you that. You know what a hero is better than anyone else."
"...When did you become so corny?"
Kyra grinned. "Guess I'm just in a good mood."
"You were depressed before."
"Perhaps it's being in this house? Something about it just lifts my spirits."
"Does it?" Kuda didn't feel it himself. It was just a house. A house they'd have no business being in if it didn't belong to the old man. He was curious about it because it was where Bell had grown up, but otherwise he felt nothing. That bothered him. 'Have I become a cold person?'
That didn't sit well with him. He had met tons of cold and unfeeling people in his life. He certainly didn't want to become that. But he feared it wasn't up to him. If his soul was becoming that way, then that may just be how it is. Certainly, at least you are how you feel.
"Hey, Kuda," Kyra called him, breaking his thoughts. "Look up at the top shelf."
"The top?" He turned his attention upwards and looked at the shelf. For some reason, while the lower shelves were filled to near capacity, the top was only partly filled. Shouldn't it be the bottom shelf that's partly filled. No, that wasn't what was important. What caught their attention were the books themselves. They were blue books labeled with a number and ordered numerically, except for the book at the end there which was white instead of blue and had no number and instead had a letter. F. "Aren't those copies of the familia records?"
"They definitely are," Kyra said with certainty. When she was still a young and low-ranking member of the familia, she was often tasked with organizing the library. She knew for a fact that those were their records.
"What's he thinking leaving something like that here?" Kuda scowled. Was he trying to spill the beans?
"Bell isn't that big yet," Kyra said. "So, he wouldn't be able to reach up there right now. Plus, I've heard that he's very well behaved. If the old man said not to read the books on the top shelf, then he'd obey. As for why they are here in the first place… perhaps it is for when Bell is ready to hear everything."
Kuda didn't say anything. He merely stared at the records of his familia's thousand years of history. A moment later, he turned his attention to the white book.
"And as for that white book… it's pretty obvious, isn't it?
Kuda nodded. "It's a "final" record. His record."
The captain of the former strongest familia took the white record and looked at its cover. It was titled "Final Volume: The Legend of Bell Cranel ". Kuda chuckled. What an over the top title. He glanced at Kyra, who was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.
"Let's read it," she suggested.
"Alright."
He flipped open the cover. The first page was a letter addressed to them.
To my dear children, Kuda and Kyra.
If you're reading this then I've either handed this final volume to you, or you both are snooping through my books. If it's the latter, then shame on you both! Garda-chan raised you better than that. And surely, I've implanted a valuable sense of ethics onto you both.
If you consider teaching them how to peep on women without getting caught, then, yes, he taught his children many "ethics".
So, on to the matter at hand. As you may have probably guessed, this the final volume. The final record of the greatest familia in history and the first record of he who could be the final hero. Of course, that's just an idea. Whether or not he can become, or if he even wants to, is entirely up to him. It's not as though I can see the future. It is just a possibility for him, same as it's a possibility for every child born here in the mortal realm.
As for this foreword, Kuda and Kyra, the thing I want to say the most is this. Don't wallow in your regrets. Even if Bell eventually finds out the truth about everything, he won't hate you. Follow the path you believe in. No matter what, you two are my precious and noble children. I love you both.
Your divine father,
Zeus
Kuda and Kyra exchanged looks. Neither one of them had the words to describe the emotions that they were feeling at that moment.
"...I do have regrets," Kuda confessed. His emotions getting the better of him, the feelings he kept bottled inside of him gushed out and there was no putting them back in. "I regret not being stronger back then. I regret not being able to save everyone. I regret… surviving."
"I wish I was there when you all fought the One-Eyed Black Dragon," Kyra confessed. In the battle with the Leviathan, Kyra had gotten so injured, that not even the best potions could heal her enough. She needed rest, so their captain ordered her to not participate in the final battle. She protested, but the facts were undeniable. She would be a hindrance more than a help in the state she was in. Rationally, there was no reason for her to feel responsible, but her head didn't think like that. Even if she couldn't kill the dragon, she thought she could at least protect her familia and Hera Familia. She was the shadow of Zeus Familia. She protected her comrades from the forces they couldn't defend against. If she was there… "If I was there, then maybe things would've been different."
"They wouldn't have been. The Behemoth and Leviathan were the worst monsters any of us had ever faced, but the dragon… it was on a whole other level entirely. Even if you were there, we would not have won that day."
"Then, get over it," she said in an icy hot tone, her dark eyes boring through his fake dark eyes.
"Huh?!" He was thrown by her sudden mood swing from regretful to cold fury.
"You regret surviving? You regret coming back to me? My god, you idiot, do you mean to tell me that's what you've been feeling for the past ten years!? If that's the case, then tell me these things. Don't keep these things to yourself. I'm your wife for heaven's sake! I can't figure everything out on my own. You have to give me something or I can't help you."
Kuda was silent for a while. Unsure of how to respond to his love's speech, he stared at his feet until he could find his words. "... I thought it was something that I should deal with on my own."
The lingering case of survivor's guilt had stuck with him ever since their defeat at the hands of the Dragon. It didn't keep him up at night (not anymore), nor did the events of back then plague his dreams (again, not anymore). It just pressed on his heart like a heavy weight. It constantly reminded him of his weakness and taunted him like it was an annoying child. It whispered in his ears like a ghost that was haunting him. Sometimes, when he saw a familia, any kind of familia, his mind would flashback to before they challenged the Three Great Quests. Diving daily down into the Dungeon, the troublesome yet enjoyable clashes with Hera Familia, watching the growth of the fledgling adventurers below him try to reach them such as Finn and Ottar and their respective factions, doing their darndest to try and surpass their senior executives, and just enjoying living with his familia… it was all so wonderful. Until it wasn't. Once the nostalgia passed, what was left was an empty and bitter feeling that threatened to destroy him from the inside out. In these cases, he would push back against those feelings and force himself to move forward, away from the anguish he continually felt. He would do it alone because he felt that he had to. It was a personal quest his own heart had forced upon him.
"And after all this time, your feelings have not changed?" Kyra asked.
"Not really."
His admission caused Kyra to make a pained expression, like it physically hurt her to hear him admit such a thing. "...Then you can't on your own. That's fine. You don't have to. You have me, and Al, and Barren, and Celesta, and Lezanna, and, well, all of us. We're a familia and also adventurers. If there's an enemy we can't beat individually, then we party up and fight it together. Generally, that applies to monsters, but I think mental health can also be included." She mused, adding in a little joke, which made Kuda laugh. "Also… I love you."
"I love you, too," Kuda responded, smiling. He really did. "I would be lost without you."
"So, would I," she confessed, surprising him slightly. She always said how she was fine without him and he could run off if he wanted to. Kyra wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She didn't care about the hardness of Kuda's broadsword which was strapped to his back. "Don't look so surprised. I know I joke around saying how it's fine if other women approach you, hit on you, and do other things to you, but I just say it because I know you're too much of a wimp to actually cheat on me."
"Can't you at least call me faithful?" He scowled as he returned the hug.
"Meh. What I said seemed more accurate, Harem King~san~" She said his old nickname in a sing song voice.
"You promised never to call me that again?!"
Kyra just laughed in response. It was liberating. She felt like all her negative feelings of guilt, regret, and anxiety were melting away. Her mind, clouded by those feelings, was sharpening, returning to the mind of the Assassin, the razor-sharp minded adventurer capable of seeing through any trap or scheme. With that, she thought of something. "Goblins."
"What?"
"Why were the goblins there? At that time? At that point? In the middle of the day? That doesn't make sense. They wouldn't do that."
"Kyra," Kuda called. His wife had gone off into her own world, whispering something almost inaudible about goblins. Most likely, the goblins that attacked Bell and the other villagers today. He had seen her like this many times before. When she had figured out a dangerous scheme or irregularity that threatened the people around her. Her sharp mind cleared the fog of obscurity of a situation and saw the truth. He knew she had figured out something important. It wasn't quite the same as a superior strategist like Finn, but it was quite helpful in seeing through plans. "What's wrong?"
"I'm such a moron, Kuda," she said, looking into his eyes, a look of frustration aimed at herself. "I should have seen through an obvious trick like that the moment I saw them, but I was just so angry when I saw him covered in blood like that, and then worried, and then… ugh, that is not an excuse."
"It's okay. What are you thinking? What's the problem?" His voice was even yet comforting. He was pressing for information, but at the same time being considerate of her feelings.
"The goblins, Kuda. They didn't act like they should have. They attacked a bunch of humans in broad daylight. That makes no sense. They're goblins."
Kuda nodded. "You're right. Goblins are the weakest monster. Once a person overcomes their fear of them, any farmer could easily dispose of a few of them. There were only five, correct?"
"Yeah. Maybe if they were kobolds or something stronger or there were more of them it would make sense, but five goblins trying to raid a village? They aren't bright, but they aren't total fools, either. They're clever enough to choose more opportune moments to do raiding."
Surface goblins only attacked people when they had a good chance of success. If it was just Bell there, then it would make sense that they attack, but there were a good number of people, which should've made them hesitant, but instead they were brazen like they were some kind of more powerful creature. They weren't. Kyra was sure of that much. Their strength was no better than any other goblin she had killed in the past.
That was why she thought what she did.
"They were likely tamed. They were ordered to attack the village, but I don't think their main goal was destruction. I think they were sent to scout. I killed them pretty much when they got there, but if they had survived longer. They probably would have tried to attack every person in sight until someone had finally killed them."
"So, they were sent to feel up the strength of this village and to see how well they dealt with a crisis? In other words, they were scouts."
"Yeah, I believe so."
"Did they have some kind of magical device on them that can be used for information gathering?"
"No, they didn't. I just beheaded them. They left nothing behind besides ashes and their magic stone. What I think is that whoever sent them was trying to see if the goblins made it back, but that seems too flawed, so perhaps their tamers had a skill or magic that linked their senses. You know, see what they see or feel what they feel."
"...Seems like you're reaching for an explanation, but I have never heard you be wrong about anything. Okay, let's gather everyone and investigate. If you're right, this could turn into a big thing. We can't let that happen. There are other villages around here, too. They could be targeted as well. We'd best act quickly."
"Right," Kyra nodded. The two of them headed for the door and left the house. It was still raining, but they didn't care. Time was of the essence. Only a moment after they had left the Cranel Home, a certain werewolf had drop from the sky out of nowhere right in front of them, surprising them both.
"Finally found you both," Alystar said with obvious irritation. His cloak was only covering part of his shoulder and not his head. He was soaked with rainwater. He had clearly been out in the rain for a longtime. "Do you appreciate how long I've been looking for you two morons?"
"Al," Kuda said, confused. "Why are you- "
He lost his voice when he saw the head of the boy who was underneath Alystar's cloak. It was a boy with red eyes and hair white as a snowy mountain. It was Bell Cranel.