64 51.4: Bell’s Travel Journal
TRAVEL LOG 1:
The moon illuminated the dark dunes of the desert as the high walls of New Sorshana reflected its mystical light.
The city never slept as merchants and traders continued to come and go from the city's port with haste and invigoration.
Seeing the city one last time before he went off on his last journey for this trip, Bell couldn't help but see the splendor of Orario begin to take root in this city he had helped in making.
"It's kind of like seeing your own child grow up… it brings a tear to my eye honestly"
He joked to himself as he fastened his travel bag and did one last check-up on himself and his belongings.
Standing all by himself by an unattended guardpost in New Sorshana's high walls, and beside one of the many magic cannons of the 『Mellamu Dingir』system he had created, he took in the weight of everything he had done in the Kaios.
"It still doesn't feel real, but this will hardly be my best achievement in this second life of mine"
Smiling before descending the high walls with a casual leap, he began to make his way northwards towards his first destination.
But before he could pull out his personal desert ship magic core and begin his travel in earnest, a cacophony of lights and sounds suddenly erupted from New Sorshana.
𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴...
The magic cannons along the city walls erupted into a series of bright lights before painting the sky in a radiance that rivaled the dawning sun.
Shouts of officers and grunts of soldiers echoed in resonance as they all operated the brilliant light show with efficiency and finesse.
The merchants and traders of the port were left stunned at what was happening. The visitors and tourists were standing in amazement at the sight.
But beyond their looks of surprise, the citizens and soldiers of New Sorshana simply smiled as they watched it all unfold.
It was an event that was planned through whispers and secrecy. It was a parting gift they couldn't simply afford to mess up.
Through the wishes and commands of the queen and their cherished goddess, the entirety of New Sorshana prepared to bid farewell to their guardian hero.
"..."
Bell stood in silence as he watched the golden lights soar across the sky as if the heavens had become Shalzard's canvas, but his silence would soon end as he heard the uniting melody of a people's voice.
♩♪ 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜? ♩♪
♩♪ 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙣? ♩♪
The streets and corridors of the developing city were swept up by the booming noise of the citizen's unified chorus.
Their voices had drowned out the explosions of cannon fire, overwhelmed the bells and horns of the seafaring ships, and even dominated the roars of the terrifying surface monsters.
The people of Shalzard began to sing the melody their hero had composed, a piece of music that quickly gained popularity after the goddess who had witnessed it leaked it to the masses.
It is a song of revolution, an ode to the coming dawn, a composition of redemption, a melody of hope…
♩♪ 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣! ♩♪
Cheers erupted as the people continued to sing. Drinks were raised high in his honor. Prayers were made to the heavens for his safety. Wishes were sent to the passing stars for his happiness.
The lands amongst the blazing sands. The lands between the evergreen forests and the blue ocean's depths. These lands have never once known a lasting peace.
Never shall their ground know the comfort of a blissful and worriless night breeze, nor the warmth of the kind and reassuring light of dawn.
These lands and their people had the cruel sensation of suffering ingrained into the etches of their very existence.
Each generation shall know of war and strife…
Each child shall know of duty and of sacrilege…
Each soul shall have the fear of conquest carved into their souls…
The sensation of heated crimson flowing through their skin like bathwater…
War is all they have ever known…
And war is all they will ever know…
It was to be all they could know for they were born in its cold and cruel embrace…
But like a refreshing wind that washed against their bodies and sobered their mind from the vices and turmoil of the coarse ground, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel… the comforting dawn… the reassuring light of peace.
Their children need no longer fear war or strife. They need no longer know of duty, of sacrilege, of conquest, nor the burning course of blood.
Because he had made it so… because Gray Ghost had made it so.
♩♪ 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩… ♩♪
As the song neared its climax, the drums and bells rang out with life, the voices of the masses cried out in joy, and the city was set alight in gleeful rapture.
Their hero was leaving, but he would never truly be gone. Simply look up at the sky and they will be together once more.
For though they sang to bid him farewell, there were never true partings. How could they truly be gone from one another as they walked under the same sky?
♩♪ 𝙀𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙨… ♩♪
As the end neared, various eyes looked up into the sky with earnest gazes. The ones in heaven who observed the dazzling nation were left shocked as the people's gazes sent heavenward were not directed toward them but to someone else entirely.
"Hoh? To think a mortal could even surpass the grandeur of the gods and set his image across the heavens among these people… how interesting…"
"But I could hardly blame them. The black desert became a hot spot for Behemoths after Thor's mess-up in containing their remnants, so no wonder the desert people hold little reverence for the divine"
As the gods and goddesses quickly lost interest after the victory of the alliance, there were little divinities who continued to watch the developing nation of the desert… except for a single one-eyed great god.
𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴…
The city fell silent as they began to send their goodwill to the Gray Ghost. Only the booming of the magic cannons and the beating of the drums were heard.
The common soldiers and citizens smiled toward the boundless expanse with wide and infectious grins.
A blonde child watched alongside her white-haired sister whilst clasping a sword near her chest.
Allen and the Freya familia adventurers observed as they steeled their resolve to grow stronger.
The projection of the great black sword stirred ever so slightly as it sensed the departure of its savior.
"... my lord?"
And on the highest balcony of Eos castle, accompanied by the spirit it was named after, Arry and Freya watched Bell off with gentle smiles.
"Stay safe, my Odr. I look forward to meeting you again in Orario"
"Good travels, Mister Bell! I want to listen to your stories again! Hopefully alongside my sister!"
"Be well, Bell. No matter where you go, or what perils you face, it is our hope that the loving light of Shalzard… of her people… and of mine… will be able to reach you no matter what"
As the city went silent to bid him off, Bell was similarly silent as he observed it all and gathered knowledge through his senses.
His reinforced senses gave him a keen understanding of the unity and the immense coordination and dedication that went into the grand performance.
His silver eye gave him further insight into the sincerity of each person that was participating. The color of their souls meshed with one another brilliantly.
What he sang off-handedly during the battle had quickly become a song that resonated with so many people, and unknown to him at the time, would become the national anthem for the future great desert empire.
Being filled with so much emotion, he could hardly take it. Setting his magic circuits alight, projecting a broken phantasm and quickly shooting it into the air with his bow.
𝑩 𝑶 𝑶 𝑴
The city truly fell silent as the players of the drums and the operators of the magic cannons joined the rest of the city in observing the light that had made itself known.
A lone projectile shot into the sky before radiating an immense white light. Allen felt a chill go down his spine as he recognized it as the light of the projectile that had nearly killed him months prior, but to the rest of the eyes that observed it, they knew it as the reassuring light of the Gray Ghost.
"That damned light- Is this the thing Hedin talked to me about? PTSD?"
"Odr, you really have to find a way to one-up everyone else don't you? Fufu~"
"Are you looking, sister? That's the light of our hero!"
"Perhaps we should make this an annual festival for Shalzard. A week of celebration commenced with a grand light show at dawn… Gray Ghost Eve"
As numerous important figures discussed the light in detail, and as the city went crazy in celebration of their hero acknowledging their goodwill, a blonde child watched, by her lonesome, by a window sill.
Having been left by her big sister and mother who grew fanatical for the mysterious vigilante as the father of the family became the sole person who cursed him during that day, Artoria reached an insight that no other person obtained in observing the light.
Clasping the sword the great hero had left her, she had always been confused about what the Gray Ghost saw in a novice swordswoman like herself, but she finally found the resolution that would push her forward.
"The people are protected by the hero, but who is there to protect the hero? Diverting harm from important figures with all you have. Serving to protect something greater than oneself… I'll become Gray Ghost's knight! But a simple knight won't fit someone like him… Ah! I got it! I'll simply become the King of Knights!"
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"I wonder if they would appreciate that… is this how idols feel about all their crazed fans? Perhaps magic cannons have become my personal light sticks?"
(E/D: Now wear a skirt, twirl around and smile with stars in your eyes and "everybody" will love you.)
Chuckling to himself at the insane comparison he had just made, knowing a nation couldn't possibly be so deranged as to dedicate themselves to some foreigner over their own queen and a divine goddess, Bell decided to start walking northwards.
As the light of his projection began to fade, he quickly grabbed his journal and began to write down what had just happened. A smile appeared across his face as he wrote down in great detail what he had witnessed.
But before he could, his senses had picked up the Shalzardians preparing to end the song. The gathering of their breaths as they prepared to shout and strike the drums with all they had. Sensing this, Bell decided to join them in the song's conclusion.
"♩♪ There is a life about to start- ♩♪ "
♩♪ -𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉 𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙍𝙊𝙒 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙎 ♩♪
𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴… 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑴…
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TRAVEL LOG 2:
After a few days of quickly traversing the desert and boarding a ferry from a desert city port exiting the Kaios, Bell had arrived at his first stop. The entertainment city, Santoria Vega.
"As expected of a city that dedicated itself to entertainment, everything is loud and busy"
The streets were filled with numerous bright signs advertising their shops or troupes. Every odd step he took, he would be bombarded with a sales pitch for a 'new and never before seen source of entertainment'.
Theater troupes were quite common, with a variety of odd attractions being interspersed throughout. It was by all means an entertainment city, something akin to Las Vegas.
"I wonder how people can sleep at night with all this shouting…"
Bell said to himself as he found a quiet spot where he could rest his ears from all the noise. Though he had arrived at the entertainment city he didn't plan on dedicating himself to being entertained.
'This trip is for the finalizing of my study of souls and my personal enchantment. So I need to observe all kinds of colors and natures of souls to complete my research'
Observing the crowd with his silver eye, Bell began to take careful note of what he could draw from the sights. It was a sea of bright and rowdy colors that seemed to never find rest, a great subject for him to further his progress.
'Although I should've normally been able to complete my study in New Sorshana, too many of the people there were simply happy… not that it's bad, but it's not great for my current endeavor'
As he took down notes and played with the information he obtained in his head, Bell was also eyeing another thing beyond the souls of the energetic crowd… that being the casinos of the entertainment city,
'The casinos in Orario were a gathering point of crime that should've been developed during my travels. Kidnapping, loan-sharking, money laundering, they were the center point of much evil"
Bell recalled his memories of the infamous casino mentioned during Episode: Ryuu, the El Dorado resort.
'The El Dorado resort is the biggest casino and entertainment center in Santoria Vega, and it became worldwide news when they announced that they would be opening a branch in Orario with cooperation with the guild'
The site had become a symbol of cooperation between the dungeon and the entertainment city, and quite the important one at that due to the two city-states being flooded with cash constantly.
'Because of this, the casino became nearly untouchable due to its diplomatic significance, and the assignment of Ganesha familia guards under orders of the guild… allowing them to indulge in crime without fear of retribution…'
Bell's eyes began to glow an aura of blue and silver as he marked another entity for elimination. He knew that crime would swell up once more after he left his duty of being Orario's vigilante, but it didn't ease the burning in his heart to simply rid them completely.
'Their crimes should be relatively under control now that Artemis took up the mantle of Astraea, but they simply don't have the influence to completely shut down the casino. Only a power like Freya or Loki would have the capabilities of doing such a thing…'
Only an influential figure of Orario could even consider such a task feasible… or an unknown power beyond the knowledge of many, such as a vigilante.
'Ryuu normally would've taken up her own mantle as a vigilante to take down the casino, but luckily for her, she won't be the only masked fighter that wants to do the same'
Eagerly looking forward to the crossover of the Gray Ghost and the feared Gale, Bell closed his journal before setting his sights on the El Dorado resort located in Santoria Vega, the main branch and headquarters of the corporation.
'Though I know of some of the internal knowledge of the resort through Episode: Ryuu, it would be better to gather my own knowledge on top of what I know from my past life'
Delving further, deeper into the quiet space he was currently in, Bell began to silently manifest his armor and hood. A misty blue haze wrapped around his body in the darkness of the city's crevices.
His blue and silver eyes illuminated through the shadowy veil obscuring his face as he clasped tightly on a pair of chained swords he had projected.
Soon, the entertainment city would be swept in a wave of amazement. Not due to the appearance of a new form of entertainment… but with the arrival of a figure that even entertained the gods to a high degree.
"It's Showtime"
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Bell would leave Santoria Vega a week after arriving. Leaving the city abuzz as reports of the famous Gray Ghost circulated endlessly.
The vigilante had been stated to have been infiltrating numerous 'untouchable' entities of the city before exposing their crimes for all to see.
Crashing through windows as he was chased by the hired adventurers and guards of countless arrogant establishments. A spirit of rebellion radiating off his body.
Jumping and swinging from building to building with ease and finesse with the help of chains. Leaving all his pursuers dazed and tired.
Escaping under the scrutinizing of numerous searchlights, as if he was a lead actor that captured the hearts of his audience under the dazzling spotlight.
He came unnoticed from the darkness, and he left enigmatically back into its unknowing embrace.
The people talked endlessly about his exploits, eventually giving him the moniker 『The Gentleman Thief』.
In the months to come from the Gray Ghost's arrival in Santoria Vega, a certain writer would become inspired by his exploits and publish a story that would later become the true alias of the vigilante in the entertainment city.
『Arsene Lupin』
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TRAVEL LOG 2:
In between leaving Santoria Vega and his next destination, Bell walked through mountains and forests absent-mindedly.
For any other traveler who wishes to traverse the continent of Gekai, it would be suicide to travel alone and without a guard.
With the threat of a monster attack being ever present in the lands far from civilization, and the worrying chance of encountering bandits with little to lose, traveling was quite a dangerous act to perform.
As such, grouping with other merchants and travelers in a caravan alongside hiring mercenary adventurers was seen as a prerequisite for traveling anywhere…
But such was not the case for Bell. If anything, the monsters and bandits who encountered him would be the unfortunate ones.
'I've already encountered seven monsters and three groups of bandits… I usually traveled in groups during my past journeys, and I've never encountered such a number of incidents…'
He had opted to travel in groups during his travels to the Elsos ruins, Altena, and Kaios due to not being pressed for time.
But for his last journey, he wanted to finish it as soon as possible, so he simply decided to travel solo, feeling confident that he was capable of doing so after growing his powers.
'Maybe they just feel I'm easy prey because I'm alone. Since I have nothing else to do I'll just clean up this area as much as I can'
Deciding to massacre the local surface monsters and criminal bandits to pass the time, Bell continued on his journey with little to worry about.
But beyond the absent-minded Bell, stories of a smiling bloody killer began to circulate through the lands he traveled, giving birth to a folk horror tale that saw a boost in revenue in nearby villages for thrill-seeker tourists who wished to meet the specter of the bloody tale.
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TRAVEL LOG 3:
"So that's Telyskura…"
Bell said to himself as he was at the peak of a nearby mountain that overlooked the nation of amazons, situated in a deep jungle-like forest, and overlooking the vast ocean beyond the continent of Gekai.
Headed by the goddess Kali, it was a nation-familia entirely composed of amazonesses. Built with a matriarchal order for its society, the amazoness warriors were the dominant group, with a number of men being employed as their servants and tools for breeding.
Though the nation of amazonesses kept to themselves most of the time, they were a force that possessed a power that could rival Rakia and even Altena.
But how could they achieve such power despite lacking the dungeon and waging wars? It was simple…
"Their nation is the manifestation of the poison jar concept"
The poison jar. A concept that involved stuffing a jar with numerous poisonous insects until only one remained, creating a creature with a deadly potent poison.
Bell narrowed his eyes as he recalled reading about Telyskura from the anecdotes of Tione and Tiona in the Sword Oratoria novels.
'At age one they are placed in front of a goblin to fight to the death. Being raised further is they won and being disposed of if not'
Amazonesses were ingrained with a natural instinct for combat upon birth, so there was very little need to worry about casualties… but it didn't mean that there were no outliers.
'At age three they would have already begun learning hand-to-hand and weapon combat. Something that would prepare them for their next trial… engaging in duels to the death with their fellow amazon'
Amazoness younglings would be grouped into families that would allow them to persist through the harsh training.
Strengthening their bodies with training and techniques, and honing their minds by taking the lives of weaker amazons.
'And the last trial… At age six, they are placed to fight to the death with the amazonesses they were raised with… they are asked to kill their sisters to solidify their warrior spirit. To seek nothing but strength and glory'
It was a trial that appalled many mortals and gods alike. It was the event that would have Telyskura named the nation of blood and combat.
It was a system that ensured the constant production of fearsome warriors who could stand on their own on any battlefield.
Equipped with the techniques, knowledge, and mindset to fall any unfortunate foe that would come their way.
By all means it was a nation that would disgust Bell. Something he would want nothing more than to rid the continent of entirely… but he couldn't.
'It's not because of the high-level adventurers of the familia… but that this entire process was done by the will of the participating amazonesses…'
The first trial would be considered cruel, but an amazoness that lacked a natural instinct to kill was the same as an infant inflicted with a deadly defect.
'All children born from an amazoness will be amazonesses… Though it wasn't explained much, it was said by Kali that an amazoness that lacked such an instinct would have a short excruciating life…'
Following the first trial, all subsequent trials weren't mandatory. Kali didn't impose her will upon every amazoness born in her nation. They were as free to refuse to participate as they were to leave the nation entirely.
It was a hell of their own creation and volition… however, though it was a cruel life they all chose to accept and live by, it didn't mean that Bell didn't find fault in it.
'All the children were indoctrinated so young. They know little of the world beyond Telyskura. Faced with such circumstances, how could the young amazonesses ever think to consider leaving?'
Education in Telyskura was abysmal. If it didn't make one a better savage warrior, it wasn't taught. It was only after Tiona asked Kali for some books as a reward did she become one of the few young amazons capable of reading.
'Kali was willing to accept any requests or pleas from the children in her familia. They could get gifts or riches if they simply asked for it… a naive goddess and a naive nation… who would truly be the one at fault for such cruelty?'
It was illogical to apply the standards of mortals upon the gods who lived in eternity, and in the same way, it was illogical to apply the standards of the gods upon mortals.
(E/D: Everytime I hear eternity I imagine Ei and then I just want to shove that eternity up her ass. I mean just how annoying can you get.)
'The male servants of Telyskura are also reasonably treated well. They are taken from local villages as payment for their protection from monsters, and though some incidents of abuse are known, they are often looked down upon by Telyskura as a whole'
Gazing upon the nation with his silver eye, Bell could only feel disgusted seeing how bloody and angry all of the souls were inside their walls.
It was a series of contradictions that neither pointed towards good or evil. It was simply neutral… but in spite of that… Bell had already drawn his bow.
𝙏𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃… 𝙏𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃… 𝙏𝙎𝙎𝙃𝙃𝙃...
Sparks of lightning erupted from Bell's broken phantasm as he aimed his sights at the goddess Kali and her familia executives.
Tracing the Orion arrow that existed within his reality marble and reinforcing the sight of his eyes, he could perfectly shoot down his target despite the large distance that existed between them both.
His arrow was nocked and his bowstring drawn. All he needed to do now was simply let go. With one movement he could end the administrative minds behind the entire nation. He could watch it slowly dissolve as they become bereft of their leaders…
But in the end, he simply chose not to do so.
"𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙝… if I go around assassinating the heads of states I disagreed with, I would become nothing more than a tyrant… and beyond that, Telyskura collapsing would simply be more damaging than beneficial'
The nation of amazonesses protected the south-eastern region of the continent after the collapse of the nation that once existed in the abandoned world.
If Telyskura collapsed, countless smaller settlements would be at risk of monster attacks. Not to mention the bloody power vacuum that would ensue from the newly unblessed amazoness population.
'The elven forests, dwarven mountains, and even Orario itself are problematic in their own right. A sudden revolution is dangerous in a world where a single person could wipe out an entire army…'
'So slow and careful reformation is needed. The culture of brutality among the amazonesses cannot be changed overnight, but it can be changed into something safer over the course of a long time. The Freya familia was able to do it, so implementing a safe struggle for power should be feasible for a small nation like Telyskura'
Bell decided to employ the same methodology he had done for the Kaios desert. To raise a prominent force that was in line with his beliefs and have them implement change in his stead while he did other stuff.
'So I'll have to consider raising an amazoness queen taking over Telyskura from Kali for my next project… and I already have the perfect candidate in mind'
Bell smiled to himself as he unmanifested his projections and began to continue on his travels. Quickly jotting down his observation of the souls of Telyskura in his journal before leaving.
There was an amazoness with immense potential who also had some background in ruling and administration… granted, it was in her past life. But such a thing wasn't a problem for Bell after raising Lili.
'I look forward to teaching you soon, Tiona'
'Reincarnation of Lakrios' unsmiling princess, a seer who read the stars, and one of the three great poets, Olna Garof'
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"Haahaa… haahaa… what the hell was that?"
Kali spoke to her familia's executives as she struggled to catch her breath. She had been simply discussing the new batch of warriors to have been birthed until they were all suddenly beset by an immense amount of killing intent.
The twin familia captains, Argana and Bache, both level six adventures, could do little more than struggle to face the killing intent. The reason was simple, their instincts screamed at them that only death awaited should they choose to move.
The attack that was the source of the intent was powerful and wide. Even if they were to run to the borders of Telyskura, the two felt that they would not be able to escape its wrath.
As such the two could only wait with anxious breath as the predator that bared its fangs continued to observe them. The rest of the amazonesses and Kali herself reached the same conclusion.
Seconds passed like an eternity before the killing intent had soon subsided and the killing intent was no more. It was as if a great storm had passed over them.
"Such power… did the Freya familia suddenly decide to invade us or something?!"
Kali shouted in confusion. She had done nothing to incur the wrath of any of the great powers in the continent… unless her correspondences with Ishtar had somehow been leaked.
The goddess grew worried that she had been roped into Ishtar's petty fight for simply replying to a letter, but her worries were soon absolved as numerous reports from border guards came flooding in.
"No armies… no special forces… just a single man in the mountains?!"
Kali's voice was raised even further as she read the unbelievable report. For such killing intent and power to only come from a single individual… it interested the goddess greatly.
The goddess was about to speak to her children to investigate and bear the child of this mysterious figure, but she quickly chose to remain quiet as she saw the face that was plastered across one of her captains, the older twin Argana Kalif.
"Hoo, it looks like little Argana has finally found herself a target"
Kali smiled to herself knowing how far an amazoness' love went. They would usually only reserve their chastity for a warrior that was capable of beating them in any fight.
Being beaten by a woman was a great shame, being beaten by a fellow amazoness even greater, but being beaten by a man was a sort of mate-finding ritual.
It was this belief that led Tione to endlessly pursue Finn despite being rejected endlessly. The heat she felt when she laid down on the ground at the edge of the pallum's spear was something that she would never forget.
"Congratulations, sister Argana. I hope your pursuits are fruitful"
Argana's sister, Bache, congratulated her sister on finding an object of admiration.
But she wasn't infatuated herself, the same was true for all the other amazonesses who felt the killing intent. Because each amazoness had their own standards for who they would love through a fight.
Some preferred to be beaten in hand-to-hand combat, while others wouldn't mind losing in weapon combat. Tastes varied from amazoness to amazoness.
For many, experiencing killing intent wasn't the same as being subdued, but for Argana it was.
The familia captain had long reigned as the strongest of Telyskura. She had never once been forced to kneel or worry about combat… but the killing intent just then had brought the undefeated captain to her knees.
It was a rush of sensations like never before. She had never known defeat since birth. Her path toward strength had been lonely, but she had now finally met a bigger predator who was capable of sparing her out of his own goodwill.
"May your chase be fruitful, captain!"
Rows of amazonesses kneeled in goodwill for the endeavors of love of their peerless familia captain. Bache similarly bowed to her elder sister whilst Kali wore a wide smile across her face as she urged her child forward.
"Happy hunting, Argana~"
Regaining her breath and readjusting herself to the sensations of her soiled undergarments, the fearsome and arrogant amazoness replied with a smile to the best wishes of her familia.
"The pleasure is all mine"
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TRAVEL LOG 3:
『I tried gaining entry to numerous elven forests, but as expected, I was denied entry to every single forest. I had hoped that there would at least be one forest that was open to travelers, but alas, the stereotype among elves is a stereotype for a reason…』
『Not that it stopped me. After infiltrating some forests using my disguise and invisibility, I was able to observe the color of the souls of home-borne elves. As expected, their souls were serene and at one with nature… if not a little bit arrogant』
『I tried infiltrating some libraries in their great trees, but they possessed little knowledge I hadn't already known. One interesting tidbit however was how I was caught one time after falling asleep… their forests are the very definition of relaxing ASMR, how could you blame me?』
『Regardless, I was able to witness their guard captain performing traditional elven magic. Its method of operation was quite fascinating but quite inefficient for its output. But it did resemble the appearance-changing magic Medea used when we were younger… I haven't found any records of purple-haired elves during my infiltrations of various forests… the only one left I haven't checked is the royal Alv forest…』
『Is my childhood friend and sister a high elf?』
(E/D: No she is an Erolf/ future Milf.)
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『Pfft- No. High elves are supposed to be distinguished and composed like Riveria. How could the Medea I know possibly be descended from elven royalty? Much less be born in the boonies like Colchis village』
『And even if I wanted to infiltrate the royal Alv forest. Their forest was fiercely guarded despite the descent of the gods and the granting of falna. If they can somehow fend for themselves for the past thousand years and all the time before just fine… I don't want to fuck around and find out』
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TRAVEL LOG 4:
『I've reached the easternmost point in the continent that could be reached on foot. My plan was to find a way to reach the nations of the far east by ferry, but it would seem that it was not possible right now』
『The constant wars of the far east have suddenly reached an all-time high in ferocity due to the appearance of an up-and-coming warlord. So much so that the Amaterause familia have entered full alert and closed off all travel to and from the islands, not wanting more destabilizing elements to affect the country』
『I could use my personal desert ship magic core and modify it into a sea-faring ship and reach the far East… but I can already feel that I would somehow seduce Amaterasu and be embroiled in another great war, something I have neither the energy nor time to deal with right now. So I'll just mark this down under 'Side-quests to finish after endgame'』
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TRAVEL LOG 5:
『It would seem that the same is true for the empire. All borders entering the empire have been closed off after a sudden succession crisis due to the emperor had died whilst trying to bed his wife… he had a heart attack after ejaculating once… poor guy』
『After paying my respects, I simply infiltrated the nation in my disguise. I was growing tired of simply traveling after my letdown in the far-east, so I desperately wanted to observe some souls and learn more about the world of Danmach beyond Orario』
『I wasn't disappointed as the empire was quite a sight to see. Its architecture resembled those seen in the Mediterranean. Though it was hardly mentioned, the empire was also quite the prominent maritime power, having frequent naval skirmishes with the far-east and Altena』
『They also possessed quite a number of powerful familias as their standing army. Numerous level two adventurers roamed the streets as imperial banners were being waved and flown in the sky everywhere I looked.』
『Nothing much to note. The color of the souls I observed was filled with anxiety and fear. No doubt caused by the succession crisis. But beyond that, there was very little to mention… oh wait, there is one thing』
『I met this strange blonde kid by the slums one time. She was almost about to get kidnapped after playing with some other kids, but I quickly intervened. I had hoped to stay low-profile, but after uncovering a huge child enslavement operation… I could hardly contain myself』
『The kid joined me while I upended the entire operation. Something about never seeing something so interesting before. It was a bit annoying, but seeing the sparkle in her green eyes… I couldn't find it in my heart to reprimand her』
『I continued to solve some crimes in the empire as Gray Ghost. Quickly becoming a target of subjugation from the empire's forces, but despite the tense situation, I often met with the kid who stuck to my side like a cat with attachment issues 』
『She called herself Rose, but I could notice that she was lying through her demeanor and the color of her soul. Not that I can blame her. It would be weird to give out your name to a masked vigilante』
『Surprisingly we got along well. She was a breath of fresh air in an empire wrecked with tension and fear. She had dreams of making the empire a better place, and she was quite fascinated with music and art』
『I sang some songs from my past life with her, and she seemingly became addicted to them. Are the melodies of generic pop music really that addicting? Well, given that I remember them after all this time, I suppose so… regardless, the kid started praising me as a hidden master of the arts』
『She started referring to me by a certain title in the empirical language I couldn't understand, but after decoding it for a while, it roughly translated to Maestro…』
『When it came time to leave, she was quite distraught and begged me to stay. But I managed to convince her to let go. When she asked if we could ever meet again… I was quite conflicted…』
『She still refused to give me her real name, and even if she did, it would be quite hard to find a girl like her in the vastness of the empire… but I couldn't find it in myself to break her heart, so I told her to become so famous that I could find her anywhere』
『She seemed to accept my answer and I quickly left the empire after drawing its ire and admiration in equal measure… I really need to stop finding trouble for myself everywhere I go…』
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"Maestro…"
A blonde-haired and green-eyed child muttered as she watched the only person she could consider her friend walk off into the distance. As a child whose family only looked at her with hostility or greed, she had grown quite attached to the vigilante that didn't view her with such disgusting intent.
"I wanna make music with you and play to our heart's content… but we can't"
The empire withheld from her the only joy she had received. They antagonized him as a criminal, and held her back with her bloodline… but there was a solution… to better the empire and become so famous that her friend and maestro couldn't possibly miss her.
"To become emperor…Umu! What a great idea! As expected of this genius me!"
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TRAVEL LOG 26:
『I went through a number of different places such as the steel mining country of Sharm, the sword-smithing city Solingen, and a bunch of other places… but nothing much to note about them all』
『It was quite interesting to see the underground settlements of dwarves like Rhondda, but beyond that it was like any other city. Plus an increase in the smell of alcohol in certain areas』
『Sharm and Solingen don't hold much value to me who has stored the forging techniques of prominent smithing familias like Goibniu and Hephaestus in Orario, and who has also worked with precious materials like adamantium and orichalcum in large quantities… but it was a pleasant experience compared to the hiding and fighting in the empire』
『My travels are almost coming to an end. I booked to join a caravan headed for Orario in a few days. It will stop for a bit in some village west of the dungeon city as a stop, but I don't mind the short delay』
Bell was writing earnestly in his journal before his hand and thoughts stopped. After swallowing the contents of the food that had just arrived steaming hot at his table, he could hardly continue writing as his chef's soul screamed in delight at what he was tasting.
"This Paella is amazing! I'm almost done with my travels, so I should definitely suggest to Mama Mia and May to add this to their menu"
Eating a whole Paella by himself, much to the amazement of passing people and restaurant workers, Bell enjoyed his break from being a hero in earnest as he rested his back on the seat of a seafood restaurant he was currently eating at.
"I've had some seafood from Melen, and some delicacies in Altena, but it seems like the Dizara Maritime Union truly is the best when it comes to all things regarding the ocean"
The Dizara Maritime Union, a collection of coastal nations that soon joined forces under a powerful familia to establish an immense seafaring civilization.
Though their fleet wasn't as sophisticated or powerful as Altena's, the reason for that was due to the fact that most of their ships were fishing vessels.
But their fishing vessels weren't the same as those seen in Melen or other coastal settlements. Dizara prided itself in fishing the greatest catches in the entire continent, as such, their fishermen often went deep into the ocean to gather their prey.
'The novels said that though the land contained the strongest individual monsters, the ocean held the most terrifying number of powerful monsters'
'Before the Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon familias defeated the Leviathan in Melen, most monsters left the dungeon through the underwater entrance in the twenty-seventh floor. So the ocean is filled to the brim with a population of ancient monsters'
Bell's face grew tense whilst eating his Paella. The great ocean surrounding Gekai was known as one of the three great unexplored regions alongside the famous dungeon of Orario, and the Dragon Valley.
It was a place he would eventually need to deal with in the future, but it was more threatening due to the fact that absolutely nothing was talked about in the novels.
'The Dragon Valley was discussed by many side characters and widely known among fan theorists as the resting place of the Black Dragon, but the ocean beyond the continent is only mentioned once… only being talked about in tandem with the Poseidon familia'
Bell thought to himself as he looked through the window of the restaurant and onto the city square of one of the many union members of Dizara.
At the center of the city was a statue in dedication to the god Poseidon, head of the Poseidon familia, the great power that allowed so many coastal nations to serve under one banner.
Their familia was famous for assisting Zeus and Hera in the subjugation of the Leviathan, assisting in the construction of the famous flying ship Hringhorni which housed the world-famous Academy of Adventurers, and possessing one of the few level seven adventurers as their captain.
'For such a star-studded and accomplished familia, it's quite odd that they're rarely mentioned in the story'
Bell thought that the author was perhaps saving such a plot point for a future arc, or maybe even the rumored sequel to Danmachi, but such things weren't important because he knew some information after traveling to Dizara.
'The reason Poseidon and his familia aren't mentioned… is because they're busy in an expedition to explore what lies in and beyond the ocean of the continent…'
He could already feel a sense of doom wrap around his body as he heard that tidbit of information from the locals. An expedition of a great power towards an unknown? Leaving their nation to fend for themselves in their absence?
"Deja vu"
Bell could almost certainly feel that the expedition would end in failure. It concerned him given the fact that Poseidon was participating himself in the expeditionary force, but it was out of his hands. He would simply respond accordingly to what will happen in the future.
"It is what it is… My journal should be complete for Freya to review once I arrive at Orario. I'm sure she won't find any fault in it!"
Confident he hadn't gotten himself into any antics, he quickly devoured his paella before preparing to retire to the inn he was staying at while waiting for the caravan to set off.
But as he walked down the streets of the coastal city, the salty air of the water breezed past him as his eyes landed on a poster for recruitment from the Poseidon familia.
Though their main forces were gone, the familia still remained plenty powerful. Enough to the point that they needn't worry about internal dissent or foreign invasion, in large part to the power and supervision of the familia's vice-captain.
"I suppose if any person would be that sea god's vice-captain it would be you of all people… captain"
Bell smiled to himself as he continued walking past. The poster continued to flap in the wind before eventually riding along the breeze.
A recruitment ad for the familia certified with the vice-captain's personal seal. An adventurer who gained the alias of 『Triton』
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TRAVEL LOG 27:
As Bell rode alongside the travelers and merchants in a caravan headed towards Orario, the group eventually arrived at the pit stop mentioned in the itinerary.
It was a small village that stood near the main road that connected the maritime union and the dungeon city, as such it was a settlement that was specialized for catering to passing travelers.
The caravan's members all headed their own rooms in various inns across the small village as the group's leaders began to resupply for the last leg of the journey.
Seeing that all the inns had been booked ahead of time by the other merchants, and having no available rooms left, Bell could only sigh in slight frustration at not being able to sleep on a bed for the night.
"No wonder they offered me to join the caravan at a cheap price… How was I supposed to know that booking an inn ahead of time was common practice for this route?!'
The merchants seemed to be pitying Bell as he gave off the radiance of a greenhorn traveling between Dizara and Orario, so they lowered the price significantly for him who would soon find there would be no place to sleep in.
'I wanted to spend the last part of my journey in relative comfort… They offered me some pillows and a blanket to sleep in the carriage, but I am not sure if sleeping with crates of salted fish would be particularly comfortable…'
While mumbling to himself in annoyance he walked through the nearby forests of the village. The night was soon approaching as the last remnants of the setting sun peeked through the veil of leaves as dusk soon came.
He planned to simply sleep on a tree as he had done during his days in his home village. It was even less of a problem for him after he had gotten used to sleeping on a battlefield during his stay in the Kaios.
'I gotta find myself a good tree to sleep in… hm? Where's that noise coming from?'
As Bell walked deeper into the forest, he soon began to pick up a faint noise from his ears. The sound of striking and grunting. It was quite the odd noise for such a peaceful village, especially at this time of the day.
"... let's check it out"
Bell said to himself as he began to apply reinforcement on his body, hastily running towards the source of the noise. But as he grew nearer and nearer, his annoyance with the inns would soon turn around as he found what he considered to be one of the greatest encounters in his whole journey.
"Ha! Hyaa! Hmph!"
Striking a tree with a pair of wooden twin short swords, a young girl could be seen sweating as she tried to hone her skills in combat.
Her short pink hair swayed with the light breeze produced by her swift movements, and her similarly pink eyes reflected the fading sunlight's brilliance with ease.
In an instant, Bell recognized who the young girl was. Though she came from a piece of media that quickly became forgotten amongst the many tie-in stories to Danmachi, she still remained in his mind due to the veil of mystery that surrounded her as her story and character became lost even to the internet of the modern day.
"The main heroine of the forgotten Danmachi browser game, Emma Flores"
By all means and measures, she was supposed to be a forgotten character by the author of Danmachi. The game she originated from performed horribly, and there was little interest in it even from the dedicated fans of the story.
It was never released outside of Japan, and translations of the few remnants that existed were never made. She was destined to die in obscurity… until something happened that revitalized interest in her character.
"She suddenly appeared at the end of the Orion movie as a special tidbit. It was how I came to know of her… and how broken she was as an adventurer"
『Rein Amur』
"Rein Amur… a skill that allows her to borrow the statuses of all the people that share the same familia as her"
Not partially borrowing. Completely borrowing. Not just one member. ALL OF THEM.
To say the least, it was a completely broken skill that manipulated excelia and falna on the same level as Liaris Freese, perhaps even more as it somehow converted one person's status into another's, despite the difference in excelia accrued and the method of its obtaining.
"Granted, it can only increase the amount being borrowed as time went on, and if she borrowed from too much she could even die… but I don't think that's much of a drawback considering she only experienced cardiac arrest after borrowing the status of ten people at the same time…"
Emma Flores was a completely broken character limited by the potential of her teammates… and Bell wanted to recruit her to his side no matter what.
"I'm not sure if the god that serves as the player in her game exists… but even if they do, I won't give such a treasure of an adventurer to a divine bastard that goes into immense debt in the story!"
With a determination to fuck over even a god for Emma Flores, Bell began to make his move to fully bring her to his side.
"You know, if you corrected your form a bit, you wouldn't be struggling to practice so much"
"-?!"
Entering the forest clearing where the young girl had been training, Bell entered casually whilst making some observations on her form.
Seeing a stranger intrude on her training so suddenly, Emma quickly became wary of the white-haired man as she began to point her wooden twin blades at him.
"S-stand back! Who are you? A-and-w-why do you care about how I train?"
Emma stammered and her body shook to no end. It was obvious to Bell that she wasn't used to confrontation, much less fighting with another person entirely.
'All I can remember about her personality is that she's kind but airheaded. She went to Orario in search of her lost sister who later revealed herself to be part of a prominent familia… in which case, the best approach would be…'
The mysterious mentor who can grant her the necessary strength to achieve her goals. The type he would often read about in Chinese novels with mentor MCs.
"Who I am isn't important right now, young one. I am merely a humble knower of things with a few humble disciples to my name… and I simply wish to ease the burden of a fellow walker of the path of the sword"
Bell spoke with confidence as he painted the image of an unfathomable swordsman. Seeing the composed way he set himself in, the young and naive Emma couldn't help but be drawn in by his ruse for a moment… but she quickly got a grip back on her reality as she continued to question the mysterious figure in her sight.
"Knower of things? Disciples? Prove it then"
'Hook. Line. Sinker'
Bell grinned to himself as he finally had Emma where he wanted her to be. Intrigue and animosity play well against one another, so if he topped her wary eyes with a performance that confirmed his words… well… he would have successfully recruited a broken character into his team.
"With pleasure, young one"
Turning his back to Emma, Bell faced the tree she had been using for her practice. The bark was scratched endlessly and bruised numerous times.
"..."
Setting his eyes on her practice swords for a moment before tracing them completely, the memories of the swords flooded into his mind. They were newly created after Emma had broken another pair of twin swords in her practice due to poor handling and form.
'She's inexperienced and doesn't have a proper teacher. It would be hard to find a proper long-term mentor in such a remote village… I should be thankful for that as I can fulfill that role myself'
Seeing Bell be so silent, Emma was confused about why he was so still, but she soon realized a possible reason. He had no sword to practice with.
'S-should I give him my swords then? But what if he tries to do something as I pass it to him?!... What to do…'
Emma scrutinized her mind to figure out what to do, but before the young girl could reach a conclusion, her attention had been suddenly taken away as a powerful gust of wind wrapped over her and the surrounding forest.
『Reinforce』
"W-Wha-"
𝘾 𝙍 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃
A loud crash echoed throughout the forest as the tree Emma had been practicing on fell to the ground. The tall tree had been decimated as its trunk was cut cleanly off from its base.
As if a giant axe had cut through it, the sight left Emma shocked that such a thing was possible.
"... wait… you don't have a sword... HOW DID YOU DO THAT WITHOUT A WEAPON?!"
Turning her eyes to Bell, the young girl cried out in shock as she saw him holding no weapon in his hand, simply positioning his fingers to resemble a blade.
"The world is wide as the sky is vast, young one. Who says that one cannot cut without a blade?"
Looking upon the dazed Emma with a look of profound wisdom, Bell radiated an immense aura of fear and awe within her mind that became flooded with confusion and interest.
But as Emma struggled to figure out what was happening, in Bell's consciousness… he was internally cringing at how he was acting.
'She doesn't notice I'm doing a shit impression of Chinese novel characters, right? '
Bell had gone with the flow, believing his experience with hiding his identity to be enough to act without error, but he wasn't good at convincing others he wasn't the Gray Ghost. People just never thought that a falna-less person from the countryside could be the famed vigilante,
'To begin with, my whole story of being an old and experienced swordsman is very suspect! I look young and I lack any characteristics to indicate I'm an elf or pallum, I'm human no matter where you look…'
'… and isn't Emma older than me right now? She was one year older than the original Bell if I remember correctly. Well, if you count my past life, I'm way older than her…'
As Bell struggled to keep his composure, his worries were soon alleviated as the young Emma quickly bowed down in reverence to him.
"I apologize, Mr. Sword expert! Please! Take me in as one of your disciples!"
'How trusting are you, Emma Flores! In a world of gods and monsters, cutting down a tree with your hands isn't enough proof to be an expert!'
Bell was shocked that his poor performance had left a deep impression on the young girl, but he was not one to look a gifted horse in the face, so he would simply capitalize on it.
"I am not one to take the words of a greenhorn to heart, young one. All is forgiven… as for becoming my disciple. The path I walk is no easy road. You will suffer and bleed. Even so, will you still choose to follow me?"
As if to aid with his act, a gentle wind brushed past through the forest as the last light of the setting sun radiated against Bell's back, painting him in a divine-like aura.
Emma was silent as she watched everything unfold before her eyes as if the world itself were blessing him at that very moment.
The young girl clasped her twin swords at that moment as she recalled what drove her to practice fighting when she had no natural talent for it.
Memories of being cared for by her older sister in their dim home in the village, their parents having fallen victim to a recent monster attack after their hired adventurer guards slacked off.
The way her gentle hand reassured her that everything would be alright… the coldness in her eyes as she declared her intent to leave for Orario, bidding farewell with no hint of emotion.
'I have to find her… even if I die along the way… if I can meet her one more time-'
"I'll do it! I'll follow teacher even if it costs me my life!"
Seeing the determination in her eyes and soul, Bell smiled to himself as he found another aspiring swordswoman.
'She had the same look Lili and Arry had when I first lent my hand to them…'
"I look forward to our future together, my young disciple"
"Yes! I look forward to your guidance, teacher!"
Thus began the first training between the vigilante and the aspiring swordswoman in search of her sister.
Bell could only stay in her village for a week at most before having to continue his journey to Orario, but he soon realized just how monstrous of a talent Emma Flores truly was.
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TRAVEL LOG 27.5:
『It has been two days since I started training Emma, and she is quite the soaker of knowledge when it comes to fighting』
『I asked around the village for information about her, and most people said she was clumsy and unreliable… I have also come to realize that this village is composed of idiots for even considering calling her 'unreliable'... she truly is a main heroine of a Danmachi story』
『Anyways, I projected her some more reliable wooden practice swords to use for training, but before I leave for Orario, I figured it would be best if I gifted her a real weapon』
『Seeing as she uses twin short swords as her weapon of choice, it was quite obvious what I should give her. I rarely use them myself, favoring my chained blades, so it should be alright to give it to her… though it would put my being as an inheritor of Emiya's powers into question』
『I hope you'll enjoy your new partner… Kanshou… Bakuya…』
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(E/D: Nobunaga and Nero… *Click* Noice.)
Editor:
The Darkest Knight#4796
AN:
Thank you for reading this chapter.
Sorry for all the side-chapters. One more before we start Orario, this time it will be a reaction chapter of Orario to Bell's antics…through the viewpoint of a freshly descended Hestia.
One last week of tests and exams for me before I can finally relax and graduate in peace. I'm actually writing this with an important exam tomorrow, but I wanted to leave you guys with one chapter for this week…and I also want some powerstones HAHAHA.
Thanks btw for pushing this fic consistently to 1k powerstones despite my abysmal update schedule. I hope I can reach 2k or even 3k once I have more time to write.
That's all from me. Thank you again for reading this chapter, I hope you look forward to the next one, and may you all have a nice day!
