The morning sun rose over the walls of Orario, bathing the towers and streets of the great city in gold. In the distance, dominating the horizon, rose the imposing stone colossus: Babel. At its underground, hidden from common eyes, lay the dreaded and legendary Dungeon. And right in front of that city, standing with his eyes wide open and his heart pounding, was Bell Cranel.
"Wow…" he exhaled, his smile so big it looked like it was going to break off his face.
He had arrived. After weeks of traveling, traversing dusty roads, avoiding random monsters, and resisting the temptation to spend all his money on stuffed buns, Bell Cranel had set foot in Orario. Fourteen years old, with snow-white hair and eyes full of dreams, he had only one goal: become a hero.
"This is the beginning of my great adventure!" he proclaimed dramatically, raising his fist to the sky.
A group of merchants passing by looked at him strangely.
"Uh… is that kid okay?"
"Leave him alone, it's probably his first day. I almost feel sorry for him."
Bell shrugged, somewhat embarrassed, but didn't let that dampen his enthusiasm. He'd read all the stories, even the chronicles of the great Argonaut. And now… now it was his turn.
Of course, there was one small detail: he didn't have any Familia.
"Hmm… how am I supposed to find a god?" he wondered aloud, scratching the back of his neck.
Orario was full of Familias, each led by an eccentric, loudmouth, or downright insane god or goddess. To become an adventurer, one needed to join one. And while Bell was willing to work with anyone, his grandfather had told him:
"Aim high, Bell. If you're going to follow a god… let it be someone legendary!"
But until now, the only ones who had approached him were two shady guys who offered him 'power for a modest monthly fee.' No, thanks.
Bell continued walking through the city streets, marveling at every stall, every tavern, every group of adventurers he saw passing by with their armor and swords. Each one seemed straight out of a story. How long before he, too, was part of one?
"Oh!"
He collided with someone as he turned the corner. It was a tall woman, dressed in a dark cloak. He didn't get a glimpse of her face before she disappeared into the crowd with impressive speed. Bell blinked.
"Th-that was an adventurer?"
Still in awe, he realized his legs had unwittingly carried him to the Guild's entrance. The building was imposing, with blue banners flapping in the breeze and a line of novices just like him waiting to get in.
Bell took a deep breath, adjusted his backpack, and took his first step toward his destination. "All right, Bell… it's time to become an adventurer!"
The interior of the Guild was spacious, bright, and… surprisingly orderly. Bell had expected something more chaotic, filled with shouting adventurers and swords bouncing off the walls. Instead, he found a fairly civilized atmosphere. The main hall was filled with neatly lined desks, staffed by blue-clad receptionists. Some were talking animatedly with adventurers, others were filling out forms with resigned expressions. The bureaucracy, apparently, knew nothing of swords or dungeons.
Bell took a few tentative steps until a young half-elf woman with brown hair and long ears that stuck out proudly looked up from her desk. Her green eyes met his.
"Yes? Can I help you?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Yes! I want to register as an adventurer," Bell said, stepping forward with childlike excitement, almost tripping on the carpet.
The young woman watched him for a second longer before nodding and gesturing for him to sit across from her.
"Very well. I'm Eina Tulle, Guild advisor. I'll help you with the registration process. First time in Orario?"
"Yeah! I literally just got here! It's been… like, twenty minutes," Bell replied, still with the energy of someone who believes there's no way anything can go wrong.
Eina nodded patiently. This wasn't her first enthusiastic newbie. She took out a form, placed it on the desk, and began to write.
"Full name."
"Bell Cranel."
"Age."
"Fourteen."
"Any previous experience with monsters?"
"Uhm… I once stepped on and finished off a goblin in my village. Does that count?"
"Did you participate in the fight?" Eina looked at him.
"…No."
"Then no…"
She sighed, crossed something out on the paper, and continued.
"Do you belong to any Familia?"
Bell was silent for a moment. Then, with a nervous smile and a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead, he replied:
"Uh… no… not yet. But I'm looking for one." Eina blinked.
"You cannot register as an adventurer if you do not belong to a Familia."
Bell's smile froze. A blink later, his eyes began to glisten with cartoonish tears as a shadow fell over him as if the entire world had collapsed on top of his head.
"W-what!? What do you mean I can't!? B-but… I could already see myself fighting with magic swords! Making friends! Facing dragons and… and falling tragically in love!" he blurted out, falling to his knees in front of Eina's desk, while some adventurers in the room turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.
"Mr. Cranel, please don't make a scene," Eina murmured, putting a hand to her forehead.
"So I came all the way here for nothing?! My life is a lie!" he screamed, clutching his chest as if his soul was bursting out.
A receptionist at another desk muttered:
"Another dramatic one?"
"No, this one is new. Drama level: intermediate."
Eina sighed deeply. Deep down, she couldn't help but find him… adorable.
"Look, Bell," she said in a softer tone. "I understand your enthusiasm, I really do. But to enter the Dungeon and become an adventurer, you need a god to grant you the Falna. It's the divine blessing that allows humans to gain abilities and grow. Without it, it would be suicidal to enter the Dungeon."
Bell raised his head, tears still hanging from his cheeks like waterfalls stopped by the gravity of despair.
"So… there's no way?"
"Not right now. But if you manage to get any god to accept you into their Familia, come back and I'll gladly help you complete the registration," Eina said, offering Bell a warmer smile.
Bell stood up, staggering as if he had just lost a battle against his own destiny.
"Then… I'll go find a god. Yes! There's definitely a legendary god looking for someone like me! With hidden potential and flashy hair!"
"Hey…"
"Thank you, Miss Eina! I'll be back soon! With a Familia!" he exclaimed, raising his fist as if he'd just unlocked a new story arc in his life.
Eina watched him as he trotted away through the Guild gate.
"…I hope he doesn't join a cult."
…
An adventurer from a Familia with a black cloak and a sour face looked him up and down.
"You? Nah. You wouldn't last five minutes on the first floor."
And they just closed the door on him.
A smiling girl from another Familia heard him… and sighed.
"You're adorable, but we're looking for more… seasoned people."
They offered him a cookie as consolation, which Bell accepted and left.
A group of muscular adventurers surrounded him at the entrance of a luxurious building.
"Does this brat want to join us?"
"Hahaha!"
They threw him out while throwing him a towel to wipe his tears.
An elegant goddess appeared from her balcony, looked at him for two seconds… "I'll pass."
And he closed the curtain in his face without further explanation.
At another location, a tall man greeted him with a forced smile.
"You're right on the list of… those we don't look for. What a shame."
Bell stood there for a few seconds, processing the sentence.
A scarred warrior pushed him toward the exit.
"We don't have time for little children who tremble when they speak."
Bell didn't know if he was trembling from fear or hunger.
A voice from inside a huge gate shouted:
"If you can't lift this rock, you're not getting in!"
Bell hurt his finger just by touching it. "…Why is it hot?"
Elsewhere, an adventurer in a wide-brimmed hat patted him on the shoulder.
"Look, kid… life is hard, but you look like paper." Bell nodded slowly as his morale plummeted.
A final rejection was accompanied by a nasal laugh:
"You?! You want to be an adventurer? Wouldn't you rather knit?"
Bell didn't even respond. He just ghosted away, floating in despondency.
By the end of the day, Bell was completely defeated.
Sitting in an alley, hugging his knees, he whispered:
"Maybe… the Dungeon wasn't for me… maybe I should open a bakery…"
And it was just then… something small, jiggly, and with blue ribbons fell on him. Literally.
"GYAAH!"
"THAT-?!"
Bell rolled on the ground in a cloud of dust. When he managed to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was… a face.
A girl. Black hair, deep blue eyes, cheeks puffed out from fear, and… she was sitting on him?
"H-hey! Where's my apple?! I just bought it!" the girl yelled, looking around while still riding on Bell.
"U-uh! Y-you're on top of me!" Bell exclaimed, red as a badly cooked tomato.
The girl looked at him, blinked… and then realized the situation.
"AH! What are you doing under me?! Pervert!"
"What?! You fell on me!"
They both separated like opposite poles of a troubled magnet. They stood up at the same time, each dusting themselves off in utter embarrassment.
"S-sorry! I was just… sitting here. I didn't expect a girl to fall out of the sky…"
The brunette frowned and crossed her arms.
"I didn't fall from the sky! I tripped off the wall over there because I thought I could take a shortcut. And someone pushed me! Stupid market traffic!"
Bell nodded as if he understood... even though he understood nothing. The girl in front of him had boundless energy, like a spark with legs. And a ribbon around her chest that he wasn't sure if was decorative or a physics death trap.
She also looked at him with curiosity.
"And you? What were you doing sitting so dramatically in a dark alley as if you'd been kicked out of twenty houses?"
Bell looked down.
"Twenty-two, to be exact…"
"Hey?"
"I tried to join several families… and they all rejected me."
The girl looked at him silently for a moment, tilting her head.
"…Are you an adventurer?"
"Not yet! They told me I need to be in a Familia to be one, but… no one wants me…" he muttered, a cloud of depression hanging over his head.
There was a silence. An awkward silence. A strange silence.
The girl looked at him with a mixture of compassion, surprise… and sudden inspiration. Her eyes shone.
"…Hey."
"Yes?" Bell asked, looking up as if a rope had just been thrown to him in the middle of a shipwreck.
"I am a goddess."
"…"
"…"
"That?!"
She proudly lifted her chest (and the magic ribbon that defied all logic) and placed her hands on her waist.
"That's right! I'm a goddess! My name is Hestia!"
Bell opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. It was as if the universe was playing tricks on him.
"A goddess…? Really?"
"Of course! Who else would fall on a mortal in an alley and still look so dignified?" she said with a proud smile.
Bell… didn't know if that was a good sign or a red flag.
"…Do you have a Familia?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
Hestia looked away, crossing her arms again. "Technically…"
"Technically?"
"I don't have members yet. But I have the name, the spirit, and the motivation. And a church!" he said, raising a finger as if giving a lesson.
Bell looked at her.
She looked at him.
"…"
"…"
"…Do you want to join my Familia?" Hestia finally asked, her tone a mixture of pride, nerves, and a hint of hope.
Bell blinked. Then he smiled. A small smile at first, but it grew to a radiant one.
"Yes! I do!"
And so, in a dirty, dusty alley, after a foolish fall and an awkward conversation… a Familia was born.
The Hestia Familia.
…
After the chaotic encounter in the alley, the newly formed Hestia Familia made their way to their "headquarters"… which, for reasons of budget, space, and a certain amount of desperation, was the basement of an abandoned church on the outskirts of the residential district.
Bell didn't say anything when he saw the place. Neither did Hestia. But they both shared a silent look that said, "This... has potential," when it really meant, "This could fall apart at any moment."
The church basement was in somewhat better condition than the rest of the upper structure, though not much. The stone walls were somewhat less cracked, and the wooden beams, though old, still stood the test of time. A pair of half-lit torches illuminated the gloomy space, and in one corner, an old wooden table served as "furniture."
"Welcome home, Bell!" Hestia exclaimed, as if she had discovered the best apartment in town.
Bell, seeing the cracks in the ceiling more than the "decoration," replied in a nervous tone, "Thanks… it's, uh, charming…"
"Right?!"
Hestia showed him a corner where she had "prepared" a sort of bed with blankets that, at least, didn't smell musty. There was also a small space with a table where Hestia had placed some essential items: her ink case, a ceremonial needle, and a sheet of paper to write down everything important.
"All right, Bell. Now for the important part: giving you the Falna." Bell blinked.
"How exactly does that work?"
Hestia cleared her throat, becoming a little more serious, as if she were teaching a class.
"You take off your shirt, lie on your stomach, and I write magical things on your back with my Ichor or my blood if you don't understand."
Bell looked at her with an uncertain face.
"Trust me! It's perfectly safe! …I think."
After a brief pause, Bell took off his shirt and lay down on the blanket in bed, staring at the ceiling with some fear. The scene wasn't exactly the most epic, but at least it was a start.
Hestia, with complete confidence, sat on top of him to get a better position. Bell, of course, didn't know how to react. A nervous sigh escaped his lips.
"Is it necessary?"
"I'm short! I need a better writing position!"
Without warning, Hestia began the ritual. Her fingers traced the magical letters on Bell's back with surprising precision. The ink shimmered under its power, and the needle left a tickling sensation on Bell's skin, as if a butterfly had decided to take a tour of his body.
And then…
Boom! A small light flickered.
Hestia stood still. Bell stared at her, his eyes wide.
"Already? Am I level 1, or something? Level 1.5?"
Hestia stared at Bell's card in silence, her face going from excited to… somewhat uncomfortable. She looked over and over at the words written on the page, clearly shocked.
"Oh no…! This can't be… It's too good to be true!"
Bell, who was still lying on the floor, stood up slightly worried.
"What's wrong? Is it something bad?"
Hestia quickly began pointing at the words written on the token, with a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
"No, no! This isn't bad, quite the opposite! Look at this…"
Hestia, with overflowing energy, read aloud the abilities that appeared next to Bell's:
"First, you have [Loved by the World]!" she exclaimed, pointing at the skill with her hand. "It
generates blessings based on your needs… That means if you ever have a need, the skill itself will effortlessly adjust its power to fulfill it!"
Bell looked at her a little confused, but Hestia didn't stop and continued with the next detail.
"And then as an effect of [Loved by the World] is [Divine Blessing of Grandfather's Wish]! This is... It allows you to see the status of your relationship with people!!"
Hestia was completely shocked, as if she couldn't process everything she'd just read. "This is... this is unreal! Bell, this is a skill that could give you unlimited... UNLIMITED!!"
Bell, now more confused than ever, frowned.
"Is that good or bad? I don't understand…"
Hestia fidgeted, trying to explain it as best she could.
"It's incredibly good, Bell! It's so good it's almost impossible! Having a skill like [Loved by the World]… means you can get whatever you need, whatever you want, tailored to your situation. But this unlimited skills thing… that's the truly terrifying part. No adventurer has unlimited skills. It's incredibly rare for anyone to even have more than one skill, and you… you could get as many as you need! You might be the only one in all of Orario with something like that!"
Bell, still confused, touched the back of his neck and said, "But… isn't it weird that I have something so good?"
"Exactly! It's weird! It's almost impossible! But you have it."
Bell stood there thinking, processing everything Hestia had said. "So this makes me a special type?"
Hestia smiled broadly at him. "Exactly! You can have anything you want… and not only that! You'll be able to win everyone over with your ability. It's like a superpower for socializing and having relationships!"
Bell smiled, somewhat shyly. "I don't know if I want to win over every girl, but… it sounds useful. I think I can learn how to use it to my advantage."
Hestia, still stunned, looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and excitement. "Bell, this is just the beginning! We don't know how far you'll be able to take this! But for now, you should be happy, because having this kind of power… is an incredible gift."
Bell, despite his initial confusion, nodded with a smile. "I'm going to use it responsibly! I'll be the hero everyone expects!"
Hestia, pleased with Bell's determination, lightly tapped him on the head. "That's what I like to hear."
As Hestia continued speaking, Bell blinked a few times, frowning slightly. Something peculiar had just appeared in front of him. Just above Hestia's head floated a semi-transparent horizontal bar, like some kind of indicator. On one side was a number: 30. The bar was marked from -100 on the far left to 100 on the far right, and the needle calmly pointed toward the positive side, not reaching the maximum.
Bell tilted his head, puzzled, and muttered to himself, "What is that…?"
Hestia stopped dead in her tracks. "What did you say?"
Bell, still staring at the bar, raised a hand and pointed carefully. "That thing above your head… I think it's part of my ability. [Divine Blessing of Grandfather's Wish], right? I can see a bar… it's at 30."
Hestia raised an eyebrow. "What!? Can you see something above me?!"
Bell smiled in surprise. "I think… it measures how you feel about me. I don't know, like… an affinity bar. And if it's at 30, that means you trust me now, right?"
Hestia blinked, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Hmm… Well, I guess so. I mean, I like you! And I like you! And now we're a Familia! So… yeah, 30 sounds about right."
Bell nodded, his expression sincere. "Then that's fine. I'm glad you already see me as someone you can trust… we've barely met, but that already means a lot to me."
The goddess crossed her arms, smiling proudly. "Of course I trust you! You're my first and only member! How could I not?"
Bell laughed softly. Although the ability was strange, it comforted him to know he wasn't alone from the start. Knowing he'd already formed a small, real connection with someone gave him hope.
"I hope that number keeps going up…" he muttered to himself, looking at the bar.
Hestia heard this and smiled playfully. "If you keep being so adorable, I'm sure she'll climb up quickly!"
Bell, red-faced, turned awkwardly toward his makeshift bed. "G-Goodnight!"
"Good night, Bell!"
The bar blinked once, and the number rose to 31.
Night had fallen on the abandoned church, and the only source of light was the faint moon that filtered through the broken windows. In the basement, Bell lay on an old couch that creaked every time he moved. The makeshift quilt Hestia had given him barely covered his legs, but he wasn't complaining. In fact, he'd insisted she use the bed, and the goddess, though she protested slightly, eventually agreed with a smile.
Bell, however, could not sleep.
He stared at the dark ceiling, his hands clasped over his chest, lost in thought.
"…Divine blessing of grandfather's wish…"
He repeated the name softly, almost as if savoring it. A nostalgic smile slowly spread across his face.
"Yeah… sounds like something he would have given me…"
His grandfather. The man who raised him. The man responsible for all his absurd ideas about heroes, the Dungeon, and… women.
Bell closed his eyes for a moment, remembering his raspy voice, always exaggerated, always filled with passion for the stories he told. For as long as he could remember, his grandfather had filled him with tales of great adventures, magical swords, damsels in distress, and heroes who saved the world with a bright smile and a cape flapping in the breeze.
And of course… there was also that part of his personality.
"Remember, Bell…" she heard him say in her head, with that dramatic, wise tone he used when he was about to unleash an epic… or completely ridiculous… line. "The best way to win a girl over… is in the dungeon. Nothing unites like danger and adrenaline, I tell you!" Bell covered his face with both hands, suppressing an embarrassed laugh.
"…That sounds so much like him…"
It was as if the blessing he'd just received was a final gift. A mark left by his grandfather on his path, a kind of supernatural "good luck" in the form of magical ability. It was absurd, embarrassing, unheroic in concept… and yet perfectly fitting. As if the world had said, "Yes, this is from that crazy old man."
"Grandpa… if you're up there… I hope you're happy. But don't get me into trouble, okay?"
Silence answered him, but in his mind he could almost hear a distant, mocking laugh.
Bell looked toward the corner where Hestia was sleeping. Her bar was still hovering above her, reading 31.
He smiled.
"A hero… huh?"
He sighed softly, finally closing his eyes. With everything that had happened that day, there were still many things he didn't understand... but for the first time since arriving in Orario, he didn't feel alone.
And so, little by little, the dream began to reach him.
…
The sun was just beginning to break through the rubble of the church when Bell stood up briskly.
Despite the makeshift mattress and the couch springs that had left his back numb, he felt refreshed. He had slept little, but what he had now—a Familia, a goddess who believed in him, and an ability that seemed straight out of a ridiculous dream of his grandfather's—was more than enough to send his motivation sky-high.
After saying goodbye to Hestia, who was still lazily tossing and turning in her sheets, Bell headed off to the Guild.
The Guild building was as imposing as the first time he'd seen it, but this time, Bell didn't enter with the same uncertainty. He walked with purposeful steps, nervously nodded to the receptionist at the entrance, and headed toward the desks.
And there she was, just as he remembered her: sitting at her desk, reviewing a pile of papers, immaculate in her uniform, with her brown hair professionally tied back and that air of reliability that made her seem older, even though she couldn't have been that much older than him.
Bell raised his hand with a shy smile.
"Eina-san!"
The half-elf looked up, surprised at first, but her expression soon softened with a warm smile.
"Ah, Bell Cranel. It's good to see you again. Have you found a Familia yet?" Bell nodded quickly, almost proudly.
"Yes! Hestia Familia accepted me. Well… technically it's just her and me, but… I'm now an official adventurer!"
Eina narrowed her eyes, clearly containing her surprise.
"Hestia…? Well… I guess that means you're her first member. That's… interesting."
Bell scratched the back of his neck, a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, it's not a big Familia, but it's very kind. And it gave me my falna. I even have a special ability."
Eina raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Have you awakened a skill yet? That's very rare for a novice… it usually takes time."
Bell nodded with a slightly nervous smile. "Yeah, that's what I heard… but apparently it was a one-time thing."
Eina sighed. "Well, I guess nothing surprises me anymore in this city… anyway. Since you're registered, I can officially help you as your advisor. Do you have time now for a little orientation?"
"Of course!"
"Then come with me. We're going to go over the basic rules of the Dungeon, the safety points, and why you shouldn't dive headfirst into a deep floor just because you saw a pretty sparkle on the ground."
Bell gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah… understood."
Eina sighed again, but couldn't help but smile at him.
After the extensive orientation with Eina and the purchase of his equipment—a modest dagger and a leather breastplate that nearly left him without a valis—Bell walked the streets of Orario with enthusiastic, somewhat clumsy steps. Although his equipment was basic and his wallet was now in disrepair, his spirits couldn't have been higher.
The colossal coliseum that housed the entrance to the Dungeon loomed before him like a promise. Bell clenched his fist in excitement.
"It's today… it's today that I begin my adventurer's journey!"
"Oh! Excuse me!"
The female voice brought him out of his concentration. Bell turned around, blinking in surprise.
A young woman with silver hair, soft gray eyes, and a gentle smile was running toward him. She wore a simple waitress dress and held a small, faintly glowing magic stone.
"You dropped this!" she said, handing him the stone.
Bell looked at her, completely baffled. "Huh? But… I haven't entered the dungeon yet. I haven't fought any monsters, so… I don't have any magic stones."
The young woman stopped dead in her tracks. Her smile faltered slightly, and she looked away, clearly caught out.
"Ah… wow… that's true, isn't it?"
Bell tilted his head, still confused.
She ran a hand through her hair, embarrassed. "The truth… it was a lie. It's one of my 'techniques' for attracting adventurers."
"Attract…?"
"I work at a tavern near the Dungeon. The Hostess of Fertility. I sometimes use this trick to make adventurers feel grateful and end up visiting us. Sounds silly, doesn't it?"
Bell scratched the back of his neck, both shy and surprised. "So that… works?"
"It depends on the adventurer," he replied with a mischievous but friendly smile. "Anyway, the invitation was honest this time. If you survive your first day… come to the tavern for dinner. I'd like to hear your story."
Bell nodded, somewhat stunned by the unexpected turn of events. "Y-yes… thank you. I will."
Just as Syr turned to leave, Bell felt something strange in his vision. Above her head, a small horizontal bar appeared… like the one he'd seen above Hestia. Below, a number floated… 30.
His gaze focused on the number. Suddenly, it began to rise.
"Huh…?" he muttered without thinking.
30… 40… 50… and then 60.
Bell's eyes widened slightly. Sixty?! They'd barely exchanged a couple of sentences... why would a girl who'd just met him care so much for him?
He looked back at Syr, who smiled at him once more before disappearing into the crowd.
"…this city is definitely weird," he muttered, still staring at the spot where she had vanished.
And with a mixture of curiosity and determination, he continued on his way to the Dungeon.
Walking near the plaza, with the imposing Tower of Babel rising into the sky like a white marble spear, Bell tried to focus on his goal: reaching the Dungeon. However, his mind wandered.
The image of Syr saying goodbye kept spinning in her head… as well as the memory of that bar floating above her.
"Sixty…" he muttered, head down, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple.
There was something that didn't fit.
Hestia was 30. And that was enough. She'd known him for a few hours, offered him a place to stay… she was his goddess. If 30 was enough to mark a relationship of friendship and trust…
"So what does 60 mean…?"
Bell stopped dead in his tracks, in the middle of the square. Several passersby dodged him, shooting him confused glances, but he didn't notice. A terrible—or exciting, or ridiculous—theory began to form in his head.
"Could it be… that he has… fallen in love with me?"
A blush rose suddenly to her ears. Her eyes widened, and her shoulders shook slightly, as if she'd just been ambushed.
"No, no, no… impossible! He just met me! How could something like this happen? It's ridiculous!"
But the bar didn't lie. It was part of his skill. A reading of the emotional bond between two people. And that number, 60, wasn't something he could ignore.
"Or maybe… it was love at first sight?"
Bell covered his face with both hands, crouching slightly as he muttered to himself, his face growing redder.
"Uh-huh! What's wrong with this city?! This doesn't make sense!"
A group of adventurers passing by looked at him with pity, as if he were another novice broken by fear before entering the Dungeon.
Bell didn't notice them. He was too busy feeling his soul melt in pure shame.
"Calm down, calm down… Focus. The Dungeon! That's what's important now. Don't get distracted by pretty girls who might fall for you in five minutes!"
He took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. The slight trembling in his legs subsided.
"First the Dungeon… then, if I survive… I'll figure out what to do with other people's feelings."
And with that conclusion, which did not reassure him at all, he headed towards the great tower with determined steps... and a slight blush that would not go away.