The Aftermath

GUILD

[Eina POV]

Eina sighed as she stepped out of the guild building for a breath of fresh air. It got so stuffy in there sometimes and today was even worse. She'd been worried and nervous all day because today was Bella's first attempt at tackling the Dungeon solo. She'd been reluctant to agree to her facing the first 5 floors alone but had been convinced by Bella's teacher and senior, Steve-san.

The new Level 9 after a 15 years since the last one appeared and who's status she'd helped hide from the public. She hadn't done anything illegal or wrong, of course, but it was still nerve-wracking. Still, she supposed, he was a very nice man. Serious, but a very good teacher or senior. He'd been so adamant that, provided nothing abnormal happened, Bella could handle the first 5 floors alone. Bella had looked so hopeful when she'd said that, and her stats certainly supported it, so she'd given her permission.

Bella had very quickly become her favorite adventurer. Not just because of how absolutely adorable she was, but because she took everything she told her so seriously. She was the only adventurer she knew who didn't ignore their advisor. If Eina said Bella wasn't ready for something, he didn't do it. She did her research properly and, aside from a single stupid mistake she'd made on her first day, she never did anything reckless. She knew she had Steve-san to thank for Bella's diligent, cautious attitude, but that didn't make her any less fond of him. It just made her appreciate Steve-san's input more. He really was a very good teacher.

"Ms. Eina!" She heard from behind her. That was Bella's voice!

Eina turned quickly, glad to hear her voice. "Bella! I'm glad you made it back okaaaaAAAAAH!" She was covered in blood! Eina rushed towards him. "What happened to you?!" She exclaimed.

"I got attacked by a minotaur and manage to defeat it!" She said, happily. Eina thought she was going to faint.

After dragging Bella inside and forcing her into one of the showers in the back of the guild office, she finally got the full story out of her. When she tried to apologize about his ruined armor, she had waved it aside. It had done its job and saved her, so she promised to take her shopping for new armor after Monsterphilia.

When she had finished the story, she let out a great sigh. She was relieved that she hadn't deliberately gone looking for trouble, but at the same time feel amaze that Bella, a Level 1 Adventure Rookie manage to single-handedly kill a minotaur. It both terrifying and amazing story if she been honest.

"Also, do you know who the blonde lady who about to saved me was?" Her eyes looking curiously.

"It sounds like Ais Wallenstein, of the Loki Familia."

"Ais Wallenstein," Bella said with wonder. "What's she like?"

"Well, she is a Level 5 executive of the Loki Familia. In fact, after the triumvirate that leads them, she is their highest-ranking member. She is also the best or perhaps second-best sword in Orario. Maybe third now, with your teacher around. She has been given the moniker "Sword Princess" by the gods.

"I see." Bella said. She then trailed off and stared down at her knees, thinking.

She known that behavior, the feeling of rivalry. It quite common among the Adventurer to see each other as a rival.

"Say, can I even be that strong Eina-san?" Bella asked, shining with hope.

Eina may know why she ask this. She don't want to be left behind. With how strong Steve-san is, she felt she is nothing but a burden to him. She want to become strong so she can always stand by his side.

She sigh and smile. "Of course you can. If you can already manage to kill a minatour single-handedly, then you has a potential to become strong as her Bella." She'd done it anyway. Bella was looking at her as though she was dying of thirst, and she'd given her a bottle of water.

She stood suddenly. "Thank you, Ms. Eina!" She shouted, bolting out of the building. "You're the best!" She called back to her as she ran.

"Oh dear," she muttered to herself. "I hope no trouble comes of that."

[Bella POV]

Bella was running through the streets with a new determination. Ais Wallenstein. She would catch up to her. She wand to be strong as her. No, she would get far stronger. Strong enough so she can stand at Steve-san side. Strong enough to not been a burden to Steve-san. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. She was dragged back to reality when she slammed into another person, knocking something out of their hands and onto the ground.

"Ouch!" The person said, trying to catch their balance.

"I'm so sorry!" Bella said, bowing up and down as fast as she could. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the person, now revealed to be a silver-haired girl, said. She was wearing a green uniform of some kind, with an apron. "I'm a bit upset about my ruined dinner though," she said, looking at the box she'd accidentally knocked to the ground. Its contents strewn all over the road.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Bella repeated, bowing up and down as fast as she could once again. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

The girl had a sudden mischievous glint in her eye. "Well," she said. "I suppose you can make it up to be by having dinner here tomorrow night."

"Huh?" Bella was confused.

The girl pointed at the building behind her. Looking up, Bella realized it was a tavern. "This is the Hostess of Fertility," the girl said. "I work here. We're slammed full tonight, but you can pay be back by coming here to have dinner tomorrow night."

Bella, felt grateful to be able to make up for her clumsiness, accepted. "I'll come; I promise!" She paused as she just remember something. "Um, can I bring a member of my Familia? There are only two of us and my goddess is having dinner with some other gods tomorrow night." Bella asked.

"Sure!" The girl said. "The more the merrier! I'm Syr, by the way. Syr Flova."

"Bella Cranel!" She replied, happily to be able to make a friend. To add more, she and Steve has something to eat tonight.

'Wait, is not it same as we're on a date!' Bella thought, just realizing it and blush.

HESTIA'S CHURCH

[Steve POV]

Steve leaning on the wall outside the room, waiting as Hestia updated Bella's status. He had to admit, this was not how he expected the day would end. Bella had been doing fantastically in the Dungeon, so he thought Bella was ready to go solo. Since she was on his own, Steve had spent part of the day working and collecting a building materials. He was working on the renovations to the church, trying to turn it into a proper home. He had already constructed his forge and his laboratory building, so he spent quite a bit of time today making enchanting and alchemy tables and setting everything up.

He and Hestia had even spent some time brainstorming ideas on what to call their new home once it was finished. The living quarters were supposed to be ready by the end of the next two weeks, with everything else being on the back burner until that was done. The rest of the renovation would take another next two weeks to be completed once that was finished. In other, it will take a month to do. I still nothing to him though.

He'd been talking with Hestia about the few forging materials he still had from Minecraft when Bella had walk in throught the door, blushing a bit and told them that she'd promised her new friend she'd eat at her restaurant the next night and that she'd been attacked by a minotaur. Steve had thought, just for a moment that, Bella is on her period or something.

He was relieved that she was alright and thrilled that Bella had taken his lessons to heart. Steve was honestly impressed that she had managed to kill a minotaur, considering how strong they were supposed to be.

He was definitely irritated by when he heard that Bella's armor had shattered, but that was alleviated by the fact that, after being told about it, Eina had offered to take her shopping for new armor. Steve may had all the smithing supplies he need to make a new armor but he against it as Eina-san is generous enough to help buy a new armor for Bella. But there is another thing, Bella's stunt with the minotaur had also badly damaged her dagger.

Think again, Steve never gave Bella anything since the day they meet. Even he did gave something, it mostly a money she could used to buy anything necessary for her dungeon diving. So, he decided to give her a gift for achievement on solo 5 Floor and kill a minotaur. He will created something that would grow with her. He'd made a few growth weapons before, for his own use, but with Hestia here... He would need to think about it some more, but he might just be able to make something really special with what he had on hand.

"You can enter now Steve-san" Bella's voice suddenly caught his attention.

As he enter the room, Bella already wear her clothes and he noticed that Hestia visibly calmed herself down and finished Bell's update for some reason. Transferring it to a sheet, she handed it to Bella.

"Nicely done, Bell. I guess being in danger like that gave you a bit of an extra boost."

Bell la looked excited as he read his status. "What's this on the skill section?" He asked.

"Oh?" Hestia said. "I'm sorry, my hand must have slipped. It's still empty as usual." Hestia was a good liar, but not good enough to get by him.

"Why don't you take a bath and go pick up something for dinner, Bella?" Steve asked. He and Hestia needed to talk.

"Y- You got it, Steve-san!" Bella said as she went running out of the door.

Steve turned to Hestia, suddenly serious. "What did you see?" He asked.

Hestia sighed. "I should have guessed you'd notice something was off." She hesitated. "Bella has developed a skill, but I'm not sure he should know about it." She picked up the paper again and handed it to him. Taking the status sheet, Steve read it as the hidden words became visible once again.

Bell Cranel

Race: Human

LEVEL: 1

STR: E-499

VIT: H-250

DEX: E-412

AGI: D-567

MAG: I-0

TOTAL = 1728

SKILLS:

Liaris Freese: Increase in experience gain corresponding to the desires of the bearer. Correlates directly with the strength of the desire. Side effects: Immune to godly charms. Limit breaker.

MAGIC: NONE

Steve did a double take and after confirm he not see a thing, let out a low whistle. He could see why Hestia had hidden this. Skills and effects that relied on emotion were dangerously tricky. It could easily lead to obsession or, in some cases, knowing about the skill could lead the feeling that powered it to fade, thereby leaving the skill inert. Plus, combined with his own experience gain skill, Bella's progression would skyrocket.

"You were right to hide this." He said. "It could be detrimental to Bella's growth if she knew about it and downright dangerous if somebody else found out about it."

Hestia looked relieved. "I'm glad you agree with me," she said. "Us arguing about it would tip Bella of that something was up. Speaking of Bella," she leaned back onto the couch, "I don't think she should go anywhere near the dungeon for the next few days."

"Agreed," Steve said. "She needs some time to wind down after the experience she had today."

"You're apparently going to dinner with her tomorrow," she said. "Monsterphilia is the day after that so, we'll all be out together then. Didn't her advisor say she would take her shopping for armor?"

"She did. The day after Monsterphilia," Steve said.

"That's a relief," Hestia sighed. "I'm worried about her weapon though. That dagger you gave him is not looking good."

"I actually had an idea about that," Steve said, "I'm going to work on it tomorrow, but I'll need your help. If it works, we'll never have to replace her weapon again."

"But didn't you say that giving her a powerful weapon would be bad for her?"

Steve shook his head. "It won't be powerful. Not from the start, at least. Back in Minecraft or Overworld, I figured out how to make weapons that grow into their power with their wielder. I made them for my own used of course, and the weapons grew in strength as I did. If you help me though, I think I can make one even better than the ones I used."

"How?" She seemed intrigued. "What would you need me to do?"

"There are few things as powerful as the blood of a god," Steve said. "I have Diamond, Netherite, and many other materials which I can use for the metals, but for now I will used Netherite"

"Anyway, single drop of your blood during the forging process and another during the quenching could make something really special. Add with few Enchanment, we could bind it so that only members of your Familia could ever use the blade. For anybody else, it would be like trying to fight with a dry twig."

Hestia looked excited. "Are you sure this will work?" She asked.

"I'm certain I can get it right, but I'll need your help."

When Bella returned with dinner, the two told her about their plans. To say Bella was thrilled beyond belief was an understatement. "You will still need to go with Eina-san to find new armor though," Steve told her. "I may have the materials to make armor but Eina-san is generous enough to help you buy a new one" Steve said as Bella nodded for she had no problem with that. She more thrilled to be getting such a new and cool weapon that been made by Steve just for her.

'I can't wait to receive Steve-san gift!' She thought, excitedly.

[To Be Continue]

[See You Next Game]