Growing up, Bell craved to be an adventurer.
From going through adventures and saving the damsel, he admired it all.
Something encouraged and supported by his own late grandfather. The old man himself urging him to pick up girls in the dungeon of all places.
Never he would imagine his grandfather's words would actually happen later.
Becoming an adventurer was rough for Bell at the beginning. Familias rejected him and he was too intimidated in joining the more famous familia, seeing them as giants compared an ant like him. His beginning in Orario was rough and dark. It was until he met Goddess Hestia, his light in his self-pity.
It doesn't matter that he was the only member of Hestia Familia.
It doesn't matter if they live in the slums.
It doesn't matter if they are poor.
They're a Familia.
A Family.
Then he met her.
Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess and the one who saved him from his foolishness. In his lack of foresight and arrogance, he dived deeper than he should. It led to a misfortunate confrontation of a minotaur, a monster that isn't supposed to be in the lower floors but it's here.
His dagger nor strength can pierce it's hide.
He can't outrun it.
He can't fight back.
His back hit the wall
And it's all over.
Until she came, killing the beast and spraying him gallons of blood on his person. He wasn't offended of course, he was thankful to be saved. But...
She was too beautiful.
In that moment, Bell finally understood what his Grandfather meant that day.
Alas, she they we're different. Like day and night, the comparison is just too great.
She was strong and he was weak. He wants to stand beside her but he is just too weak. Even after 2 months in Orario, he really can't say his strong.
Afterall, he ran away from the minotaur.
It's an unattainable goal yet he will try his best and maybe, just maybe one day.
It will happen.
Many events happened later on,
Goddess Hestia's gift for him, a valuable knife forged by Hephaestus herself.
The Monsterphilia incident where he had to fight for his life and his goddess for the first time.
Later on, he met Lili.
A cute supporter he met who offered her services to him. He accepted of course, who wouldn't want the help of a cute girl? Afterwards, his dungeon dice with Lili was successful, gaining much needed increase in income and progress in the dungeon. Her presence was a great help.
But he was tricked.
The cute girl was a vixen who stole his knife, a gift and hardwork by his Goddess Hestia. Only by Ryu's help did he reclaim the stolen knife.
Afterwards, a series of fortunate and unfortunate events happened which uncovers Lili's predicament.
Bell of course helped her.
Together, they became a party since then.
Then Bell discovered the ugliness of Orario.
They walked upon it, a pile of adventurer corpses left behind, partially eaten by monsters. Bell felt bad for these people, death is unavoidable in the dungeon but it still stings to see it.
Then Lili pointed something.
They weren't killed by monsters.
They we're killed by fellow adventurers or someone similar.
After reporting their findings to miss Eina, Bell went home with a heavy heart that day.
How could people do that? To kill people in cold blood in the dungeon. For what end? Greed? Revenge? Anything at all?
He doesn't know.
Why are people like this?
Then he witnessed his next tragedy.
An adventuring party, gravely injured and left for dead. Lili took action immediately while he uselessly stared until Lili called out to him. Using her own skill, Lili dragged whoever still alive. He managed to get his wits about to defend them from monsters in the end, attracted of the scent of blood and death.
The dead was left behind.
They left the dungeon yet the sound of flesh been eaten still echoed in Bell's nightmares.
Then the attacks have began.
It started small and simple vandalism on various Familia headquarters. Goddess Hestia started insisting him to return before dark since then. Of course it's for his safety but he accepted it in fear for her.
They're familia is small, poor and barely functioning with one member.
The thought of Hestia Familia being attacked makes his chest feel tight in worry.
As such, his dungeon dives became shorter but faster with Lili's help. She is also worried on the frequent attacks and have already began staying on the church for safety. Although Goddess Hestia disliked the idea, she didn't turn away Lili.
They're all in this together.
As the attacks began to escalate to full blown attacks by various individuals, Bell found himself assisting Loki Familia, whom have taken the position in policing and defending the city, from afar as volunteer. Lili joined too in order to keep an eye on him.
From removing injured adventures and civilians, delivering vital Intel as runners, providing aids to the affected familias to joining in the fight till help arrives.
It was a tiring month for him.
Especially yesterday's attack. Ganesha's HQ was attacked but repelled by both Ganesha and Loki Familia members. Unfortunately, the battle was too intense for him to join in and had to pulled away by Lili to save whoever they can.
He felt so useless.
The enemy is just too powerful and far away in skill compared to his.
Outmatched and outclassed in every possible way, it was just like Bete said earlier this month.
Then he saw them, the same people who attacked Ganesha's HQ ganging up on Ais who looked so haggard and struggling to keep up.
His body moved on its own by then.