56 Bell Cranel

~People, let's keep this kind~

~There are no reasons left to fight~

~Let's keep it moving and keep it light~

~There are no heroes, not this time...~

A.N. This set of lyrics fit this chapter well in my opinion.

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(...I don't even know where the hell this is taking place...)

"Bell." The albino boy smiled brightly as he answered Steve. "Bell Cranel."

"Bell Cranel." Steve repeated as he ran his hand through his hair. "Good Lord, that's a girlish name. Any wonder even a gutter trash Familia like that one won't take you?"

Bell's smile dropped a little as the cheerful optimistic light in his eyes also died too.

"Ah. Well yes...I guess so.." The boy looked away awkwardly.

The boy deflated a little. He'd been so excited ever since he came to this city because he'd wanted to become an adventurer. He'd had some idea that trying to find a Familia to join would be hard...but he'd underestimated exactly how extremely hard it was. And it seemed that adventurers, instead of being heroic and noble as a result of killing monsters and saving people from them, were mostly just giant bullies who threw their weight and their super powers around.

Even this new, tall adventurer who had appeared to save him from having his face caved in by that adventurer didn't really seem so nice now. Bell looked the adventurer up and down. He was tall and broad shouldered, muscles rippling under the baggy shirt and even though he walked with a certain casualty, he still had a guarded feeling to him, constantly on the lookout and ready for combat at a moment's notice. A hallmark of an adventurer.

Bell also had to admit...this guy was seriously handsome. His grandfather had told him that the most beautiful people in the world could be found in Orario, because of their blessings upon them. And of course, it was also where the most beautiful women were. A 'dying wish' so to say of Bell's grandfather before he was attacked and killed by monsters (allegedly) was that Bell came to Orario, became an adventurer, and then built himself a harem of beautiful women. Bell was not at all confident about that last point, but for his grandfather he would have tried. But even taking that into consideration, Bell knew he did not have any qualities that were attractive to women.

How be it? When the city was simply brimming with the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, all from different backgrounds and clearly a part of Familias of their own and bearing the powers one gets from a divine blessing. And he, a farmer's boy from a mountain village who had absolutely no family to return to, nor any grand background. He wasn't educated beyond simply being able to read and write and count. And he wasn't brave since his elderly grandfather had to save him from the most weakest monsters, which were goblins, which were also known to be so much weaker than the ones in the Dungeon.

What chance did he have?

Bell's mood darkened amongst all these thoughts. And of course, Steve's comment about his name cut deeper...even Bell had to admit that it was true. His name was in fact, a little girlish in nature. When one thought of his name, more often than not they would think it belonged to a girl.

Steve saw this and smiled to himself. It was not that he enjoyed making fun of Bell, but he wished to drive home a few truths in the hope that perhaps a stronger Bell Cranel than the one in canon would come out of this...as unlikely as it could be given how Steve had nicked the boy's future waifu. But it did not hurt to try.

"Oi." He flicked the boy's forehead, making Bell yelp as he clasped his face in pain. "Don't go looking all sullen. If such a small comment like that is enough to make you depressed, you're not going to cut it out in the adventurer's world. Adventurers around here say all kinds of things and what I just said was the tamest thing compared to what they say. If that alone makes you keel over, how are you going to stand up to monsters who wish nothing more than to eat you?"

"You make a good point sir!" Bell said as he drank in this advice. One thing about him was that he was too eager to lend his ear to someone more knowledgeable than him. He bowed in thanks. "Thanks for educating me."

"And stop grovelling as well." Steve put his hand on Bell's head and pushed him back up again. "You keep going like that, even the women in this city will twist you around their fingers."

"Really?" Bell questioned. "I thought that-"

"Women aren't as innocent, beautiful yet frail as you think." Steve said. "A normal woman is dangerous enough. They know exactly what it is that makes a man tick, and how to bring him under her thumb. Give her super strength and the capabilities to destroy a small army by herself and what do you get?...You carry on the way you are going, then you will get even more women like the one who just went inside. And believe me...there are many in this city who are far worse."

A certain toad came to Steve's mind...

"Yes, sir." Bell restrained the urge to bow again. Steve's eye twitched.

"I guess I will have to give you my name as well." The gamer held out his hand. "Stephen Hewer. I suppose it's a pleasure to meet you Bell Cranel."

"I am honoured Mister Steve." Bell grasped his hand with both of his own. "You are the first person to speak more than a few words with me."

"Not many are as charitable as I." Steve said as he began walking. Bell got the hint and began to follow.

The white-haired boy looked back at the house and then looked up at Steve.

"Mister Steve, that adventurer lady seemed a little afraid of you for some reason. Are you a powerful adventurer or something?"

"That woman and I have come across one another before." Steve said as he looked ahead, walking with his hands in his pocket. "She learned back then not to do anything stupid in my presence. Nothing more than that Bell. Let the trash stink where they lie. Don't question me on it anymore."

"Yes sir." Bell lowered his head as his point of conversation was shut down. The boy then tried to formulate another way to make talk with Steve. "So, are you a member of a Familia, Mister Steve?"

Steve sighed heavily and abruptly stopped and turned to the boy with a hard look in his eye. Bell was made to stop and he gulped a little at Steve's expression. For a moment he thought that Steve was trying to be rid of him as he found Bell's presence annoying, but that was not the case.

"Look at me Bell." Steve said. "What do you think I am? What profession do I follow?"

"...You are an adventurer, right?"

"I didn't ask you to as me. I asked what you think."

"I think you're an adventurer."

"And if I am an adventurer, than what would you suppose is the answer to your first question?"

"...That you are part of a Familia."

"Correct." Steve said as the hard look disappeared from his eye. "Adventurers value time here Bell. They don't appreciate meaningless and time wasting questions about what is blatantly obvious. And when I say blatantly obvious, I mean both what you see in me and what your own intentions plainly are."

"My intentions?" Bell gestured to himself.

"Adventurers are rough around the edges, and not all of us are educated. You will find very, very few adventurers who even went to school. I am of the few among those educated few who are exceptionally educated to a high level. But they're not stupid Bell. I can see the real question burning in you. You want to know if I am a part of a Familia, and then you want to play on perhaps my pity or some chance and ask if you can join mine. Am I wrong?" Steve asked challengingly.

"...No sir." Bell said sheepishly.

"Now what adventurers do appreciate, is to be asked outright. Less time-wasting, and it makes you look braver and more forthright. Remember, this is a city of competition where even in the Familia, people are racing to achieve more than the other. When you hold back on your words and you drag things out, you are regarded with immediate suspicion and people would sooner slap you aside than tolerate you taking their valuable time. So, ask me outright now...or I may be forced to treat you as that woman did."

"...Is there a chance I may be accepted in your Familia?" Bell asked meekly.

"And I will tell you now...absolutely NOT." Steve said. Bell's face became sullen, before he remembered what Steve had told him and he quickly hid his disappointment. Steve made him look up again as he placed a hand on Bell's shoulder. "Welcome to the real world kid. You don't just get to to join a Familia like that...especially when you have no qualities that are attractive to anybody. You're clearly some greenhorn fresh out the countryside, who has no experience in combat, nor any real physical labour. Yeah you smell of a farm, but even the farming focused Familia here won't take you because of the level of expertise needed to join them. For instance, have you actually had any practical experience with perhaps animal husbandry? Or have you learnt about soil degradation? Or crop alternation? Anything?"

Bell pursed his lips as he tried to understand what those words could mean beyond their literal sense. But realising that Steve was asking if he had experience in that, the boy was forced to shake his head.

"I don't." Bell said.

"Well then how do you expect to join a Familia if you have nothing special to offer even on your own background?" Steve asked. "My Familia is not even centred around farming and yet even I know these things. I equipped myself with knowledge such as this even beforehand, so in the event I was forced to go nowhere but a farming Familia like Lady Demeter's, I at least had something like that to put on the table for them to deliberate over. You came into this city, with no plan nor any clear, realistic vision. You are quite obviously, even to the least critical eye, a kid who is nothing but a dreamer who is fantasising about something to achieve through a Familia that brings no real, or materialistic gain to any Familia which is something we all value pretty much. Either that, or you're just a time-waster deserving of being kicked to the curb and out of the way so we can continue working. You understand now?"

As Bell listened to this, he began to realize more and more exactly how clueless he had been. Everything Mister Steve was saying was true. Logically, it could be nothing more than a solid fact. He had come to this city hoping to become a hero and maybe build himself a harem like his grandfather wished...but what value did a childish dream like that have in the eyes of Familia who saw the worth of potential adventurers in what they could contribute to the Familia as well as what status they could bring to the Familia?

Nothing...and Bell was realizing more and more how foolishly unprepared he had been.

"Forgive my monologue." Steve said as he sighed and put his hand back in his pocket. "Look Bell. I do not say this to belittle or quell your drive. If anything I can see the energy inside you, and it's a good thing. But you are in the real world. On that alone I cannot bring you into the fold of my Familia because we are a Familia of workers and labourers, not dreamers. But you are in luck Bell Cranel..."

"I am?" Bell said, a ray of hope appearing in the very dark tunnel he and his dreams had been thrust into.

"Yes. Because you are in the presence of someone who used his head to get into a Familia...and I'm not an asshole like the majority of adventurers."

Steve clapped his hand on Bell's back, making the boy stumble as Bell widened his eyes at how strong such a casual looking act of endearment was. His lungs felt like they were nearly smacked out of his chest.

"Why don't we have a chat? I'm headed to the guild to sort some paperwork. We can talk over that and I will offer some free advice." Steve offered.

"Thank you very much Mister Steve, sir!" Bell said as he bowed again. "I will take whatever I can get and commit it to heart."

"I'll let this bow slip for once since you're thanking me for something that's actually valuable." Steve's smile disappeared. "But drop the 'sir' from the end of that."

"Mister Steve."

"The mister as well. I'm not that old. Just call me Steve, just as I call you Bell."

"S-Steve." Bell said. Having been raised a certain way, it was hard not to put a respectful honorific at the end.

"Good. It is a good idea to speak respectfully to people when you meet them first, but be mindful to address them the way they want to be addressed. Because one of the most rude things is to call somebody by something other than what they want to be called. And some people in this city are so petty, over that alone they'll try and kick you in the head."

"Did...that happen to you?" Bell tilted his head as he asked that.

"He tried." Steve smiled.

"What happened?"

"I kicked him first. Headlong into the wall of the 38th floor of the Dungeon." Steve said as he laughed in memory of how many times he'd rough-handled Bete to teach him a lesson.

Bell laughed along sensing the cheeriness in Steve's mood. He'd thought that he'd perhaps upset another grumpy adventurer...but it was starting to look like he may have come across somebody genuinely nice...they had to be if they were willing to stick up for him when they had no business doing so. He should have kept faith due to that act of kindness from the start! Bell suddenly began to feel shame that he'd had a diminishing opinion of Steve and was tempted to bow in apology...but then remembered that it was something that the gamer appeared to dislike and so did not do it.

"Now then." Steve said as they began walking. "I'd imagine the first thing you did when entering this city is go straight to the guild to get citizenship as well as advice on how to start out as an adventurer. Who supervised that for you?"

"It was a lovely elf lady with brown hair and glasses." Bell said as he put a finger to his chin. "I think her name was-"

"Eina Tulle." Steve said. Of course, he was already expecting that answer but it harmed no one in having a nice chat.

"Yes! Do you know her? Is she your advisor?"

"No." Steve answered. "I didn't need an advisor when I applied as I'd already spent a lifetime killing monsters outside the dungeon. I was a warrior and monster hunter, so I didn't really need it. But she was my supervisor and she handled all my paperwork."

"That's cool." Bell gleamed. "We have the same supervisor."

"I suppose we do." Steve looked at Bell. "Listen kid, Eina is good at her job, and she's quite earnest in her connections with the adventurers she takes care of...but she can be quite too over-protective and zealous. If you want to take her as an advisor, you're perfectly entitled to do that to yourself...but don't let her trample all over you in her worry."

"Did she do that to you?" Bell asked.

"I kept her at a distance before she even tried." Steve said.

"You seem to take a lot of initiatives Mist-...Steve." Bell corrected himself.

"I survived this long by doing that." Steve said. "I advise you start doing the same."

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(The Pantheon- Guild HQ)

Steve barged open the flap doors to the guild with a meek Bell following behind him as they stepped into the room of burly, rough and tough adventurers who immediately looked their way due to Steve's dramatics entrance. Anybody would be intimidated by walking into a room full of people who had similar appearances, and knowing that each and every single one of these people were superhuman's would drive one's nerves further over the edge.

That was just for a normal person, but somebody who was as anti-social and to be frank, small for his age, like Bell, the experience was absolutely nerve-wracking. He could practically hear the judgemental thoughts being transmitted into the air from the minds of the adventurers as they cast their pre-conceived judgements on him. But Bell was also an observant person (where it counted) and so he also was both relieved and intrigued when the adventurers looked at Steve and widened their eyes in wariness as the gamer approached them.

Steve noticed Bell's discomfort and shook his head with a smile as he just put his hands in his pocket and casually walked up to the queue leading up to Eina's part of the reception desk. He often wondered if the people at the Guild got any rest because every time he was in here, the place would be congested with a bunch of loud-mouth, smelly adventurers. It really did make him feel sorry for the receptionists...but then again, he was also one of those assholes so why did he have to be a hypocrite?

Bell noticed how as soon as Steve walked up to that queue, the adventurers before him completely split apart and gave him passageway. The adventurers that did this showed Steve some measure of scepticism, wariness...and dare Bell say it, fear.

Now, it was worth saying the Bell was observant up to a certain point, because had the albino looked a little further beyond the adventurers, he would have seen the noticeboard where Steve's picture had been nailed up, along with his details, accomplishments and everything else that Steve and Ptah had allowed to be published at Royman's hand. But poor little Bell, who was so new to everything in city life and therefore had not quite grasped the ropes yet, remained ever ignorant of who it was exactly he was walking besides.

Eina gave them both a wry smile as she noticed how the adventurers in front of her quickly moved aside to allow a very familiar someone through. Eina could already tell that whatever was about to happen was going to give her a serious migraine. Every time the Minecrafter came to the guild, he had with him some sort of outrageous surprise.

"Mister Hewer. What can I help you with today?" The half-elf said, although her voice was noticeably strained and a bead of sweat visible on her temple. She then noticed the boy wo had walked up besides Steve and instantly began growing concerned. The albino boy had only just got his citizenship from her yesterday and was quite obviously a greenhorn dreamer looking to make a path for himself in adventuring. Eina had seen the end of quite a few people like that in the Dungeon, but never had she seen one potentially have everything go down from the before they even joined a Familia. Bell accompanying Steve could not be good news at all. "Mister Cranel? What are you doing here? Are you planning on-"

"No he isn't." Steve said as he cut her off. "I happened to bump into him and thought I'd give him a little pointer on what Familia to choose, help a newbie out a little, ya know? He's definitely not joining mine though."

"Oh." Eina breathed a sigh of some small measure of relief. The adventurers soon began to chatter again and go back to their business "That's okay then. So what did you come for?"

Steve pulled out a bunch of papyrus sheets from nowhere, an ability she was already quite well used to. But seeing and recognising them even before she'd read the contents made her back sweat a little.

"There have been some new additions to my Familia. Last night actually." Steve said as he handed them to her and she numbly took them, fearing to even look at the pages as her instincts began setting off alarms. "They're currently being entertained by Finn and his people, but they'll swing by later to verify and pick up their citizenships. So if you could hand those over to the guild master, I would be most grateful." Steve smiled sweetly.

She'd learned by now that when he made a request like that, it would be better for her own sanity to just hand business over to Royman just to spare her own mind from the world-breaking nonsense that Steve brought through the doors every time he visited. So without question, she turned on her heel and made for the stairs that were going up to the second floor. Steve hummed in satisfaction before he turned to Bell and noticed that the albino was staring at the adventurers and then at him.

"What's wrong Bell?"

"...Are you somebody important Steve?" The boy asked. "It's just that...a lot of these people seem to be really respectful of you."

"People learn respect when you pound it into their heads." Steve said before waving his hand. "Of course, that is not what it takes all the time but in the adventurer world, you come across a good few hardheads. They give you trouble, then you have to give it to them with a sledgehammer."

"I'm not quite sure that answers my question..." Bell said hesitantly.

"Point is..." Bell huffed as Steve clapped his hand on his back. "...don't let anybody walk all over you, and they'll give you plenty of space to walk yourself. Now, let's go sit down in that booth over there and we'll discuss what we are to do with you."

...

Once they both were situated on the green couches, Steve put one leg over the other and and stared at Bell.

"So little rookie, what is it you want to do?" Steve asked. "What made you want to become an adventurer in the first place?"

"My grandpa died recently." Bell said. "He used to tell me a whole lot of stories about the old heroes and the famous monsters from the dungeon. He also told me about Orario and how their successors, the adventurers go into the Dungeon itself and become powerful like the old heroes...and even stronger sometimes. I always liked those stories...so without my grandpa, I decided to try my luck at adventuring."

"You read a bunch of storybooks, and then when faced with the loneliness that comes from losing your guardian, you decided to try out and live your life according to the stories you heard?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "Bell, you're not one of those kids that come to the city dreaming about becoming heroes are you?"

"Uuuuuhhh..." Bell's mouth opened but no formulated words came out as he knew he'd been caught on the spot. "...no?"

"Like I said, dreamers." Steve shook his head. "Bell, Familia do not take you in based on aspirations and mere ambitions alone. Not any random mortal who fantasises about wielding a magic sword and slaying a great big dragon with it, to win the heart of a beautiful princess afterwards, will be accepted into an established Familia. A Familia will judge you based on your merits, and will weigh up whether or not it is worth taking you in. It all depends on what you put back into the pot after you've taken something out. They'll be spending time and resources on you to get you to to be something of worth...you really think your dreams are going to be a convincing enough prospect?"

"I know that." Bell looked down. "But there are so many Familia in the city, surely one would take me in."

"I encourage you to go and try." Steve leaned forwards. "I already told you how they treat time-wasters in this city. No matter how nice they are. Believe me Bell, there are some very kind people in these Familia, but there are also some very sceptical and very selfish people in them too who only ever think of the monetary and material benefits you could bring to them. And THAT is the easy part in reality. These people have the ability to make a choice; accept you or turn you around and leave a bootprint on your backside." Steve's expression darkened. "You think the monsters in the Dungeon will have the same rationale?"

"...No." Bell said as he realized that he had not considered this point either. The goblins of the surface were bad enough, but what about as you got down deeper into the Dungeon? Just the stories alone made some tremble with fear at such a place existing.

"Fantasies will never cut it out in the real world Bell." Steve advised. "You look to be about 14, so you are an adult now. As a man, you have to consider your worth and your skill set, and you have to decide which is better to put forward to make you appear as a promising prospect. So let's establish them. Have you had any previous combat experience before?"

"I've had to fight some woodland goblins on the way here." Bell smiled. "Does that count?"

"...No." Steve said bluntly. "Have you ever been instructed in combat? Taught how to fight? What is your weapon of choice?"

"This." Bell said as he pulled out what was clearly a well used knife. Steve took it from his hand and held it up.

"Firstly." Steve pointed to the 'weapon'. "Kitchen knives don't make you look appealing. It's actually quite pathetic. And yes, monetary or financial status does matter because it will tell those you're trying to impress how you handle wealth and how you spend it. Not investing in a proper combat knife is definitely a poor start. Secondly, knife combat is not a practice that is held up in great esteem of the eyes of adventurers. To begin with, it's the most foolhardy since you have to come up very close and personal with monsters, and only seasoned adventurers would dare get close to those beasts with such a short range weapon. And more than that, knives get lost easily or they break easily. So you are going to be a drain on Familia funds if you choose this path. And thirdly, you have not even kept this kitchen knife in good condition. When was the last time you whet it?"

"Wet it?" Bell raised a brow.

"...Now we can rule out any possibility of you knowing anything about smithing." Steve said. "You won't be accepted in a smithing Familia that's for sure...or any Familia for that matter if you don't know how to maintain your equipment."

"I'm not being given a lot of confidence here Steve." Bell said. "I'm sure you're trying to help me...but I don't feel like it..."

"I am helping you kid." Steve gruffed as he slid the knife back to Bell over the table. "I'm giving you a taste of reality. Face it Bell. You travelled very far to this city, unprepared and for nothing. You're all over the place, you have not brought anything of value or anything worth considering to bring you into a Familia. Your mannerisms are womanish and unbefitting of a grown man and you don't even hold your chin high or look anybody in the eyes. Instead, you've come to a city of hard workers who sacrifice much to make something of themselves in this difficult world they live in, full of fantasies and daydreams of being something that was only suitable for a bygone age."

Bell's expression drooped as he felt the truth of those words hit him harder every time Steve spoke. Bell was not a brat, he was honest with himself. He could admit when he made mistakes...and Steve had just chucked a whole lot of them in his face.

"Wake up to reality Bell." Steve chided. "The Age of Heroes is gone. All that Argonaut built is gone. Even Lakrios is nothing but ruins now, and any memory of him exists only in ink on old paper. Now is the Age of the Gods, and the Days of the Dungeon. Where Heroes once protected mortal kind adventurers do it in their place. Get that through your head...or you won't survive one second in this city." That particular statement jabbed at Bell the hardest, not just because of reasons known only to Danmachi's audience and Steve himself, but because Argonaut was someone Bell looked up to. Steve held a hard stare before he sighed and smiled. "But...there is hope."

"Hope?" Bell perked up.

"Yes. As fantastical as your daydreams are...one cannot deny a genuine want to help people and be a driving force for good. They simply would just need to look into your eyes." Steve said as he folded his arms. "There also exists much injustice in this world...and everybody lives fearfully in the shadow of a monster who must not be named. Heavens above, we might actually need a hero in this Era." Steve sighed again as his tone became much more softer. "I cannot help you beyond this Bell. You are ignorant and naïve in every way, to the point you don't even have something from your own background to bring to the table. But to some gods, your pure intentions would be a good enough incentive...but such gods are few in number."

Steve leaned forwards again.

"I can only advise you this Bell. Continue to approach every Familia and ask to join their ranks. I tell you now, they will throw you out constantly, to the point where you WILL feel depressed and you WILL despair. This will happen until you have run out of all options, and you will have the mind to leave the city and go back to where you came from, to give up on your dream." Steve held up a finger. "But when that time comes, you must hold on. It is only in the darkest moments where the light shines the brightest. You hold to your motives and I promise you, just as I found a god who suited me, you'll find a god that suits you. And let's be honest, you are worthless, pathetic and pretty much nothing. But any god who takes you in despite that, is a god worth following and a god worth dedicating your heart, soul and the rest of your living days to because that is a god who accepted you when nobody else would."

"That sounds like a very slim chance." Bell said in a clearly depressed voice. "Does such a god truly exist? If my worth is all that a god will look at, then why would any accept me?"

"Because the god that does is a god who accepts your for who you are, not what you benefit them." Steve answered. "And that is a better god to follow than even the most powerful god of the most powerful Familia any day, because it is only with such a god that you will discover your true potential." Steve lifted Bell's pack and handed it to him. "Now go. And remember, good things come only to those who wait...this is all I have to say to you."

"...Thank you Steve." Bell took his pack and put it on his back. "I'll try my best."

"That is as much as anybody can ask from the likes of you." Steve said. "Now one last piece of advice...stay away from me for a bit. I'm going to be broiled in a lot of drama very soon. A poor little newbie like you will be easily crushed underfoot into a bloody stain...so stay away for your own safety..."

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