Bell wanted to cry.

The scene in front of him was just too heart wrenching. The Flame-caped Demon Slayer's body was full of wounds. His left eye was crushed, his ribs were broken, even his internal organs were bleeding.

And yet.

And yet.

The sight in front of him was the most heroic sight he had ever seen. A single man, protecting the people behind him until his last breath. There was nothing more heroic than that. Even compared to the heroic tale of old he had been told, this was a lot more emotional than that. Maybe because he was experiencing this directly instead of being told by words.

On the opposite side stood the Upper Moon Three. The fourth strongest Demon after the Progenitor, the first, and the second. There was not a single wound on its body. The regeneration power of a Demon was too fast!

Some invitations were thrown, but the Flame Pillar was steadfast. He would keep being a protector.

Both the Flame Pillar and the Upper Moon Three went for one last big attack. As they met, the impact from their attack kicked the dust. However, there were no other sounds of clashing.

When the dust settled, Bell couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

The Flame Pillar's stomach was punched through by the Upper Moon Third. That was a fatal wound! There would be no chance that he'd survive this fight! Bell turned to look at the boy in green and black-checkered garb and the pig-headed Demon Slayer.

Do something! He shouted towards them. But of course, his wail was ignored. This was just a recollection, after all. Nothing he did could ever influence the memories.

Even so...

Even so...

Bell couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

He did not want to see a hero die!

And yet.

Before his last breath left his body, the Flame Pillar clenched his grip and delivered a slash to the Upper Moon Third's neck. With every last power his body could muster, he shouted and pressed his sword to cut the Demon.

The Demon tried to get away, but he couldn't. The Flame Pillar devoted everything to killing the Demon, even at the expense of his life.

As the two boys attacked, the Upper Moon Third cut its own hand to get free and run away to the deep forest where the sunray did not pierce through the thick foliage.

The boy in the green and black-checkered garb threw his sword like a javelin. It pierced the Upper Moon Third, who was running away. And then he cried, just like Bell.

Soon, the sun rose to the blue sky, signaling that morning came. No Demon would appear again until the next sunset. The fight was truly over. But the price was too high, in Bell's opinion. One life for hundreds. At a glance, it looked like the price justified it. However, when Bell carefully thought about it, the one life perished could prevent another disaster somewhere, while the hundred lives saved couldn't.

No, no. He had no right to judge whether it was fair or not. Human lives couldn't be simplified into statistics like that. That kind of thinking was a slippery slope towards dehumanizing people, and Bell wouldn't want to be like that.

He approached the boy in the green and black-checkered garb who had one last talk with the Flame Pillar. Apparently, the Flame Pillar of old recorded something about the Dance of the Fire God, so the boy should go to the Flame Pillar's residence. After that, the Flame Pillar had some words of encouragement for the two boys.

'If you feel disheartened by your own weakness, set your heart ablaze! Grit your teeth, and move forward!'

Somehow those words resonated with Bell. A month ago, he was lamenting his own weakness, lashing against the monsters inside the Dungeon. He came out alright, thankfully, but that was wrong. He shouldn't have done that.

This was a great lesson that he would never forget.

Soon after, the Flame Pillar finally closed his eyes peacefully.

And yet Bell couldn't stop crying.

Waking up in the morning, Bell wiped the tears that fell down. Did he cry in his sleep again? That was embarrassing. He thought he was just crying in his dream. Nonetheless, this was a brand new day for him! And what was more, last night, His Goddess just confirmed that he could Level Up!

Although, he would consult with Eina first about what Development Ability he should take. He had three choices, all great. His Goddess leaned on Luck, and so did Lili. His inner child wanted Swordsman, though, even if he understood that Luck was more essential to have.

Bell smiled at Lili and Hestia hugging each other on the bed. It was unusual for his Goddess to not sleepwalk to him, but seeing her like this with Lili brought something to the forefront of his heart. She might appear tough to Lili, but she already cared for her deep down.

Slowly, he woke Lili up without disturbing Hestia. A tough job, for sure. However, waking up at dawn had been progressively programmed to Lili's morning habit, so not much effort was needed to wake her up.

"Mgh, is it morning already?" Lili rubbed her eyes. Bell would admit that seeing the sight of Lili rubbing her eyes cutely every morning was never tiring.

"Yes, Lili." She groaned in response to his reply. Nonetheless, she stood up from the bed and freshened up.

Ten minutes later, they were out running in the morning. As they ran, the citizens of Orario greeted them as usual. Lili found herself also waving at them, although a little shyly. She was pretty surprised that they greeted her back.

They ran two complete laps circumnavigating Orario. And somehow, Lili could feel herself progressing further even if she did not update her Falna. Two weeks ago, she couldn't do a simple lap. However, after Bell taught her how to breathe, she could do a full lap. Now, she could finish two laps without any significant exhaustion.

The breathing was real, she decided. Even if she couldn't manifest fire or water like Bell, it was worth learning simply for increasing her stamina.

"Alright, let's train our breathing," Bell said as they settled on the outskirt wall where Ais usually trained Bell. Loki Familia was exploring the Dungeon, so they were free to use this place. Not that anyone would forbid them. No Loki Familia meant no interruption from Ais Wallenstein.

Lili sat crossed on the ground. Her hand formed a lotus position as she closed her eyes and carefully maintained her breathing. This technically was not meditation, so she did not have to empty her thoughts. Her mind wandered to the scene from yesterday night.

Bell did the impossible. This was a historical occurrence. Somebody leveling up in just a month and a half would be bound to make waves. The question was, would Hestia Familia's strength be enough to weather Orario's hurricane? She was pretty sure the answer was no.

To be honest, she really wanted to join Hestia Familia. Not just to quickly get Elemental Respiration Breath Materialization Skill that Bell said she'd have if she succeeded, but also because Hestia Familia needed all the help it could get.

She wouldn't get the skill as long as she was still in Soma Familia. That was because she did not want to update her Falna with Soma. Doing that meant showing herself to her Familia captain, Zanis, the reason why she was piling money to free herself.

Not good. Thinking about her own Familia almost broke her concentration. Lili's mind quickly latched onto random things, like her relationship with her Master Bell.

At first, it was a sign of deference from a Supporter to a more honorable Adventurer, calling him 'Master Bell.' However, ever since Bell took the time to teach her, it became a sign of respect as a student to him as a teacher. There was also the fact that Bell was so polite he only began calling someone's first name when they asked him to.

Hmm, that was Far Eastern culture, wasn't it? Did the memories of the boy in the dream influence Bell to such degrees? She did not think so. The boy in the dream influenced Bell's fighting style, no doubt. But she would like to think that Bell would still be his polite and kind self even without the dream.

Well, there was no use thinking along such lines. What ifs would not change your future. Lili concentrated on her breathing rhythm. What was important was that Bell was there with her now, so she would never stop cherishing his existence.

Several minutes of silence passed. The only thing Lili heard was her own breathing, Bell's breathing, and the chirping of birds in the early morning.

"We're done, Lili. Good job."

Lili opened her eyes.

"Now you need to do five hundred swings to the left and five hundred swings to the right."

This was new, Lili thought to herself. Usually, it was a downwards slash.

"Can you show me, Master Bell?"

"Right. There are actually several differences in the stance, but the basics are the same. First, can you get into the normal stance?"

Lili did as he was instructed. Both of her feet were closed, and she stood straight. Her sword was in her grip, tight and ready to strike.

"Right. Good work. Now, instead of going over your head, you need to swing it by going over your shoulder," Bell grabbed her arms and guided them, so the sword on her hands was over her shoulder. "Then your footwork is also slightly altered. Instead of the usual moving your feet straight forward, it's a diagonally forward instead. Can you guess why?"

Lili pondered for a few seconds before she decided to try both.

The first time, Lili did her usual footwork. Her right foot moved forward as she swung the sword from right to left. However, it felt jarring. It was like her footwork got in the way of a nice, clean swing. No synergy between the two.

Footwork was essential when using a sword. It was the foundation of a good attack. At least, that was what Bell explained to her before. For it to have no synergy with the upper-body movement, it meant that the footwork needed to change.

"Um, Master Bell. Which foot do I need to move diagonally?"

Bell only smiled at her. "Why don't you try both?"

Lili looked at him before sighing. She supposed Bell wanted her to learn, not just copy whatever he was doing. So she just accepted it and did her right foot first.

She slid her right foot diagonally to the right and swung her sword from right to left. After that, she reset her stance, and this time she moved her left foot and swung her sword.

After doing both, she found her answer.

"It's Lili's left leg. To swing to the left, Lili needs to move Lili's left foot. Lili guesses the opposite is also true? To swing to the right, Lili needs to move Lili's right foot."

"Correct. However, this does not mean you can't move your right foot. This is just the basic footwork for an attack. Here, let me show you about moving my right foot when I'm swinging to the left."

Bell drew his sword and prepared himself. Just like Lili, he went for a stance to swing his sword horizontally from right to left. Then Bell moved his right foot as he swung.

"Can you see what I'm trying to do?"

Lili shook her head. "No. Lili doesn't understand."

"Then, I'll make a follow-up swing."

Bell reset his stance and swung again. However, he did not stop at one swing. After his horizontal slash, he suddenly turned 180 degrees and made another slash by moving his right foot again.

"I'll do the left foot one now."

Bell reset his stance again. This time, he did not turn back and instead continued attacking forward.

"Ah! Lili gets it!" The first attack Bell did, he turned 180 degrees before making another slash. The follow-up slash's footwork was a normal one. Moving his right foot diagonally made the stance weird if you intended to attack someone in front of you. However, it was an effective move to force someone to reposition themselves behind you.

The second attack Bell did, he did not turn because the normal footwork was the foundation for another forward attack.

"Footwork is not the end of a move," Bell nodded at himself. "In fact, you need to calculate the next move you're going to make that synergized with your current feet position. It's like a chain that will not end. But from outside's perspective, I've heard it looked like a-"

"Dance." Lili cut him off. Now everything fell into place. She always thought that Bell's swordsmanship felt like a dance when she saw him cut down monsters. So it was indeed like a dance, but not precisely intended to come out like that. She had a feeling if Bell ever did a ballroom dance, he'd be good at it without ever learning it.

"However, while footwork is everything, telegraphing your move can prove to be your downfall." Bell sheathed his sword. "It's why I still can't regularly beat Miss Lion even when she held back. You can hold back your strength and speed, but innate instinct like that is harder to hold back. I never know what she will do next because I can't read her movement at all. She only slipped once or twice when I surprised her. Miss Ais is the same. But she's even harder to match because she doesn't hold back at all. I guess even with the 'shortcut' I was given, nothing beats pure experience."

And this was coming from someone who broke past the Level Up barrier in just one and half months. High-class Adventurers were scary! Lili thought to herself.

"But that's a lesson for another time. For now, master the basics, Lili."

Lili nodded and continued her swings. After around two hundred swings, they stopped and went towards the Hostess of Fertility for Bell's daily morning training with Ryuu.

As usual, Ryuu had already gone through some movements. She truly was a fantastic role model for Bell.

"Miss Lion! Good Morning!" Bell greeted her. While he chatted with Ryuu, Lili took her usual spot and went through her swings again. There were still another 800 swings she had to make as they spar.

"Good Morning, Mr. Cranel." Ryuu looked at Bell. "You looked different than yesterday. Did something good happen?"

Bell grinned. "Hehe, you're looking at the newest Level Two Adventurer, Miss Lion!"

Ryuu stared.

She kept staring at him, waiting for the eventual punchline of 'I'm joking!' that people other than her were fond of. She knew that friends liked to be playful with each other, but she did not think she and Bell were close enough to do that.

But it never came. Perhaps she missed something?

"Miss Lion?"

"...Are you perhaps, being playful with me, Mr. Cranel?"

"...No? Oh, well, I guess it's still not official. I'll be asking my Advisor for the Development Ability later. But after that, we're going to officialize it!"

"It's true," Lili said from her training spot. "Lili saw the status sheet last night. We can't believe it either. Lili guesses Master Bell is Master Bell."

Ryuu opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She knew Bell was uniquely strong. She was the one who faced him the most, after all. However, Leveling Up after just a month was unprecedented. It was not achievable by any means before simply just because the current record (or is it previous? It was still not official, after all) was one year. She thought if it was ever broken by someone, it would be in eleven or ten months, or six months at the fastest. But she would never guess the boy in front of her breaking the record in just one month.

"...I guess I can offer you congratulations. I am curious, however. You have beaten an Infant Dragon as a Level One and didn't Level Up. How did you do it? What kind of monster did you face yesterday? I assume it happened yesterday, yes?"

It wasn't like she wanted to know his secret. If he did not want to share, she would understand his decision. She just wanted to know how her somewhat student progressed.

(That was right. Bell was unofficially her student, wasn't he?)

Hearing that question, Bell scratched his cheek. "I can tell you, but... I don't think anyone can follow my path."

He looked down on his sheathed sword.

"Your path?" Ryuu questioned back.

"Come to think about it, I've talked to you about my philosophy, right?" Bell suddenly remembered the talk they once had. "Kindness begets kindness."

"I remember. You said that helping someone troubled isn't justice; it's kindness. That actually quite surprised me. I thought you weren't fit to become an Adventurer after that. But you proved me wrong."

"Ehehe, thank you. Anyway. My path of Adventuring is a path of kindness. I'd be happy if anyone could follow me, but I'm not hoping."

"...Path of Adventuring..." Ryuu had a faraway look in her eyes. Did he trigger a repressed memory of something? How and why did it only happen to Ryuu of all people he knew!? This never happened with anybody else!

Ryuu shook her head and looked at him. "You still haven't answered my question, Mr. Cranel. If you don't want to, I understand."

"Ah, I talked in a circle, didn't I?" Bell laughed. "The simple explanation is I let a Minotaur let me kill it."

Ryuu widened her eyes, "You killed a Minotaur? As a Level One?"

"No, I let a Minotaur let me kill it."

...

The silence was awkward.

"I don't understand..." Ryuu frowned in confusion. "You let a Minotaur... let you kill it?"

Lili stopped her swing again. "If you're still confused, Miss Lion, Master Bell was being Master Bell yesterday. The result is also so Master Bell."

That was an even more confusing explanation, but somehow she understood some of it. Bell, in kindness, did something unprecedented, and the result was enough to Level Up. That 'something' was letting a Minotaur let him kill it. The problem was she still did not understand that statement. Who did what? How did it translate into something that could impress the gods?

"I'm sorry, but I still don't quite understand that part about 'let a Minotaur letting me kill it.' Can you explain it in a more understandable way?"

"...This is just like the 'stop breathing' incident all over again, isn't it?" Bell scratched the back of his head. "I don't know how to phrase it better. The Minotaur had injuries, and its roar was filled with pain. I couldn't just kill it in cold blood. So I coaxed the Minotaur to let me kill it by using my Fifth Style. It's a move for a painless kill, but I can only do it if my enemy willingly offers their neck."

...

Ryuu was honestly speechless.

Out of all the things somebody could have ever done to Level Up, this was the most outlandish thing she had heard. No, not the painless kill move. But for someone who did not have a taming skill to coax a monster to follow him.

"Wait. Basically, you Levelled Up by offering kindness to monsters... Mr. Cranel. That is dangerous. The Dungeon is unforgiving," Ryuu chastised him. "If something happened to you..."

Syr would be heartbroken.

"Don't worry, Miss Lion," Bell said with a smile. "I know my limits."

"Speaking of your limit. Does this mean you're going to the Middle Floor?"

At that, Bell spent several seconds thinking. He technically could. Going to the fourteenth floor and below to gather more experience for himself now that he was a Level Two. After all, Eina's ban only applied to him as a Level One.

However...

He looked at Lili, who kept swinging and swinging, following his instructions. She had followed all his orders, even if she complained, even if she grumbled under her breath, she still did it all wholeheartedly.

He still hadn't mentioned all the time he dragged her along for his whims. She was even so desensitized by his behavior she accepted every oddity. She did not even voice her disbelief when he told her about his previous life.

Did she deserve the mental attack she would have when he eventually ventured down the Middle Floor? He knew she had the mental fortitude, but he felt that Lili deserved better.

"I don't think so," Bell smiled at Ryuu. "I think it's time for Lili to feel how it is being an Adventurer."

Ryuu gasped. "You mean..."

"Yeah. We're going to train Lili on the Upper Floors."

Lili stopped her swing and then looked at Bell, mouth agape. "W-What!?"

"You heard right, Lili."

"B-But, Lili thought Lili is not going to face monsters alone until..." she glanced at Ryuu. "Until you impart more of your technique to Lili..."

"With your situation now, it's going to be a long time before I'll teach you my technique." Translation: the situation with your Familia was still a long-term goal; waiting for it would just waste your precious time.

"F-Fine. But Master Bell will help Lili if Lili is in trouble, right?"

"Of course, I'll be behind you." Bell gave her a thumb up.

After that confirmation, Lili's heart calmed down, and she continued her swings again.

"Well then, shall we spar?" Ryuu offered. "What is the limit of your Level One? I'll use more of my power and speed."

"Eeh, please don't! I still can't even beat you with your usual restraint!" Indeed. The last time Bell scraped a win was when Ais saw them. After that time, Ryuu increased her power and speed, and Bell still couldn't match her.

Bell came into the fight wanting to match that Ryuu. If she used more power and speed, he wouldn't win.

"Mr. Cranel," Ryuu's stoic face morphed into a ghost of a smile. "It would be unbecoming for the teacher to be bested by her student, wouldn't it?"

She knew!

She knew that Bell was creeping closer to her usual strength, so she lessened her restraint more to slip out of his reach!

Bell pouted. "You're not fair, Miss Lion!"

(The result of the spar was, of course, a landslide in Ryuu's favor. Still, Bell was delighted. It meant he was making progress. He couldn't wait to see Lili's progress too.

She needed to build up her confidence in herself.)

Entering the Pantheon with Lili, Bell approached Eina, "Good Morning, Miss Eina. Can we talk in a private booth?"

"Good Morning, Bell. Yes, we can, although please wait a minute while I finish some documents," Eina replied and returned to her work.

After a few minutes, Eina put aside her stack of papers and turned her attention to Bell. "Well... shall we?"

"Ah, yes, let's go. Come on, Lili."

Once they arrived at the private area, Bell immediately dropped the bomb.

"Miss Eina, between Swordsman, Hunter, and Luck, which do you prefer for Development Ability?"

Eina blinked. That was unexpected. "Well, Since you use swords, Bell, I think Swordsman is a good fit. However, Hunter is a rare Development Ability. As for Luck... I have never heard about it. Are you sure your research is correct?"

"Oh, I'm not researching anything. I asked because that's what appeared on my status last night. Luck is unheard, huh, like Goddess Hestia said..."

"I see... wait. What!?"

"Took you long enough, Miss Eina," Lili smirked playfully. "Good job, Master Bell!"

Smiling at Lili, Bell high-fived with her.

"Did... did you just imply what I think it is?" Eina fixed her glasses, her face looking at them seriously.

"Indeed, Miss Eina. Today I'll officially become a Level Two! Well, after you offer your insight for me, anyway. Goddess told me to ask you about the three Development Abilities that appeared."

"...And you two decided to prank me?"

Now her glasses lit up menacingly.

Bell raised his hands in surrender. "W-Well, I thought why not?"

Eina only let out a sigh. "What dangerous thing you did to Level Up, Bell?"

"I let a Minotaur let me kill it."

"Miss Supporter, can you tell me how dangerous it is?"

'Brushed aside!?" Bell remarked when Eina immediately turned her attention to Lili after answering her.

"It's actually not that dangerous."

And so Lili explained what happened yesterday to Eina. After the explanation, Eina could only pinch her nose bridge in exasperation while shaking her head, muttering something he couldn't hear clearly under her breath.

"Sigh... Bell..."

"Miss Eina," he replied.

"What do I do with you? Despite all my efforts to protect you, trouble seems to find you. I can't even get mad at you..."

Bell couldn't say anything. Eina always had his own safety in her mind. He appreciated that. However, telling it to her now would feel like just lip service, considering what he had just done yesterday. So he decided to stay silent.

"Lili thinks... Lili thinks Miss Advisor should do what she has always done. Lili is sure Master Bell felt thankful for your consideration. However, Lili also felt that Miss Advisor needed to give more trust in Master Bell."

Eina bit her lip. Was it because she wanted to refute Lili's statement or agree with it? Bell didn't know.

"...Thank you, Miss Supporter. I'll take your advice for consideration." She faced Bell again. "Bell... congratulations for being the fastest Adventurer to Level Up in history. Let me file in some of the paperwork first. You can go back and Level Up, then complete this form later."

"About my Development Ability..."

"Luck. You'll need it."

Bell winced. That was probably also why his Goddess pushed for him to get Luck. She understood that he needed it.

"Thank you, Miss Eina. Oh, about yesterday's tragedy... Does the Guild have the data on the victims? I wanted to pay my respects to them."

Eina blinked. "Right. I'll get it for you. Let me check it first since I don't remember their names."

They left the private room.

(Later, after Bell completed the form, with his Goddess on his side, who once again convinced her by showing his partial status sheet that excluded his skills, Eina submitted the form to be processed by the Guild. Suffice to say, everyone there was flabbergasted. Level Up in just one and a half months? Preposterous! There was no way somebody could do that!

That night, the news of Bell's Level Up got leaked, and in an instant, all of Orario was in an uproar.)

Walking around on the First Floor of the Dungeon, Bell looked at Lili. She was breathing heavily, probably because of nerves. Welf wasn't with them because when Bell said they would train Lili on the first floor, Welf felt that his time would be better spent finishing his work.

"Regulate your breathing, Lili. Remember, no need to be nervous. I am here," Bell tried to reassure Lili.

"R-Right..."

Soon, a goblin materialized from a nearby wall, and Lili froze.

"It's just a goblin, Lili! Swing your blade!"

Despite being scared, Lili swung her sword at the last second before the Goblin's arm could reach her.

"Remember your footwork! Keep moving!"

Lili looked at her feet. Right. Keep moving. Taking a deep breath, Lili moved towards the Goblin. If she was skillful enough, she would end it with a slash to the neck like Bell. However, that level of skill was something she hadn't attained yet. At present, she could only do small slashes to hurt the Goblin. She went in her stance and slashed. Following that up, she moved her feet to another stance and slashed again. Again. Again.

In the end, the Goblin died, Lili managed to bisect it on the stomach.

"So," Bell said with a smile, approaching her. "How does it feel? Your first official Adventurer experience?"

"...To be honest, Master Bell, it feels weird. How did yours go?"

"After killing my first Goblin, I ran back towards my Goddess with a smile on my face."

"...Master Bell is already Master Bell even back then, huh?" she teased. It was uplifting how he could share something embarrassing like that just to cheer her up. Her teacher was truly one of a kind.

"Hey!"

Their banter was interrupted by another batch of monsters. This time it was one Goblin and two Kobolds.

"You can handle it, Lili. I know it. I'll play Supporter and get this one's Magic Stones."

Right, Lili tried to calm herself. Facing one was hard enough already. Now she had to go against three? Was this how scary it was to become an Adventurer? Master Bell was really courageous to undertake such an endeavor.

Lili put down her feet and slashed at the Goblin. Unexpectedly, it flew farther than she intended. That was weird. But not wanting to lose the momentum, Lili moved again, taking the position of the monsters and the lesson she got this morning about her positioning.

She swung her blade, hit the Kobold, and turned her body to stab the other Kobold.

However, it was a mistake as her weapon was now stuck on the dead Kobold while the other two monsters weren't finished yet.

"Ah!"

However, before the two could get to her, her teacher quickly dispatched them.

"See? I'm watching your back. Don't worry. Just try to familiarize yourself with the sensation of hitting flesh."

"...Right," Lili replied. She knew that her sword was a real sword. It was sharp, heavy, and dangerous. However, Bell's training made her forget her objective: killing monsters. Now that she had the first taste, suddenly, the steel in her hands felt much heavier.

The burden of taking life. Bell had once talked about it. She brushed it aside that one time because... well, this was coming from someone who prayed for those he killed, so she thought he was just talking nonsense. But now, she felt it.

Strange. Lili knew that it was a Goblin, a monster born from the Dungeon. They had nothing else in their mind but the will to kill Adventurers. And yet, despite that fact, Lili felt terrible about it.

Her musings were interrupted by another batch of newly-born monsters.

"Stand down, Lili. I think this is enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow. For now, I'm curious to see my new skill."

"Ah, that Soothe Bell skill. Lili also wonders about it," she sheathed her sword. Now that Bell had taken command of the situation, she trusted him to protect her.

The monsters were growling, surrounding them.

"Alright, I don't know how to activate this, but... here we go. Skill! Activate!"

...

Nothing. No sign of change.

"Master Bell, it looks like the skill doesn't trigger."

"...Do you remember the wording, Lili?" Bell began to sweat.

"'Presence will not agitate those born in the Dungeon.' Lili thought this was passive? But the monsters are still growling at us."

"No, I'm very sure this is an active skill. Hold on, let me concentrate. Watch my back, okay, Lili?"

"Lili will try."

Bell closed his eyes and concentrated. This wasn't magic. This was a skill. His presence would not agitate the monsters, so he had to believe. He had to will it. He had to activate the skill.

Slowly, the sound of bell chimes could be heard reverberating around them.

Lili, who had been in a stance and was ready to strike, lost her concentration and looked around. Where did that chiming sound come from? As she looked around, her eyes caught something interesting. Bell's body was aglow; white lights surrounded him, making him look like a hero straight out of a fairy tale.

She caught herself. There was still a fight to be held! However, as she turned her eyes towards her opponent, she saw something baffling. The monsters weren't attacking her.

"Wha?"

Indeed. The two goblins she was facing, both of them just stood there, looking at the light, completely ignoring Lili. What was happening? The chiming sound continued as Lili fully scanned her environment, only to confirm her suspicions. Every monster in the vicinity did not do anything. Wait, this had to be Bell's skill! But what was the trigger? The chiming sound?

She stayed silent to fully grasp the sound of the chime. The constant rhythm provided comfort. The soft sound did not strain the ears.

It was a calming sound that would surely soothe the heart.

"Ha..."

Frankly, to someone like her, the existence of such a skill was ridiculous.

"Hahaha..."

Then again, this was Bell they were talking about. If there was anyone that embodied the term 'ridiculous,' it was him.

"Hahahaha ahahahaha!"

And so she laughed. The sound of her laughter harmonized with the chime to make a pleasing melody.

Her laugh caught the attention of Bell, who opened his eyes. "What's wrong, Lili? Why are you laughing?"

A few seconds later, Bell's eyes took sight of the same thing Lili saw. "Huh... is this my skill?"

"Soothe Bell, indeed. The Falna truly knows," Lili remarked after a satisfying laugh.

"Ah..." Bell blushed. Lili hit the mark about his skill. A skill to pacify the monsters was too striking to be used casually. "I think I'll use this sparingly."

"More like, you need to use it only on emergency, Master Bell. That skill's too dangerous to be used casually. You'll be targeted by bigger Familias... they'll poach you from Lady Hestia."

Bell nodded. "I understand... so how do I turn this off?"

"How should Lili know? It's Master Bell's skill!"

In the end, Bell managed to will it to end. The motes of light faded, and so did the chime. The monsters weren't pacified anymore. They growled at them again, so Lili prepared herself for another fight.

"No need," Bell went into a stance for Breath of Water and quickly swept them all up in his wave of water.

"Let's collect them and finish our excursion, yeah?"

They collected the Magic Stones and soon left the Dungeon.

For Roland Wolf, being an Adventurer was not his goal. He wanted riches. That was what all poor farm boys wish for in life. He abandoned his life on the farm for a chance for glory in the center of the world. And yet, he would never expect to face death's door on his first day being an Adventurer.

Coming from a small Familia, he had no one to mentor him. The other 'slightly' senior members were gathering funds at the lower level for a good house, so it's all on him for his first day in the Dungeon.

Five goblins were surrounding him, cutting off his escape routes. Not that he knew where the routes were. Nobody explained things to him, even his Advisor. Raising the Guild-issued sword half-heartedly, he steeled his heart. If he were to die today, at least he did not want to die pathetically.

"Come on, you freaky monsters!"

The attack never came. Suddenly the five Goblins just stood there.

"What?" Was this some kind of joke? He tried to poke the Goblins, but they did not retaliate in any dangerous manner. The Goblin he poked just turned its head on him and then looked away.

It was then that he heard something reverberate around them. The sound of a bell chimes in a constant rhythm.

Not wanting to question the Gods-given opportunity, he ran away to safety.

That night, he told his Familia what happened on the first floor. Nobody believed him, not even his deity. He turned towards his Advisor, but it was the same reaction.

No way something like a Bell Chime of Hope existed.

But Roland did not give up. If nobody in his Familia or even his Advisor would believe him, then he'd tell the story at the pubs. It wasn't that he wanted to be known for discovering it. Well, he wanted renown but not for this.

He wanted to spread the word because he knew he wasn't the first to experience near death in the Dungeon. Hell, he'd bet more died because of the swarming monsters than they are alive and saved. If the cause of the Bell Chime of Hope was known and replicable, then undoubtedly, more people could be saved.

(In the end, nobody believed him. No one would take something coming from a newbie Adventurer like him seriously. But at least he had spread the words.)

(It wouldn't be until the far future that the truth unveiled, and one Roland Wolf would give smug 'I told you so!' looks at his Familia and his Advisor.)

After their venture into the Dungeon, Bell and Lili had two more last stops before going home. The first was Mrs. Estelle's flower shop. When they arrived there, the mood inside the shop was very cheery for some reason. Mrs. Estelle was humming with a smile on her face while Rosie was tending the displayed flowers.

"Good Evening, Mrs. Estelle."

"Ah, Bell! Good Evening! How are you?"

"I'm okay. You?"

"Quite happy, actually. Is there something you need?"

"Another wreath of peony. Actually, make it eight," Bell requested with a smile.

Estelle stopped looking at the book and turned her attention to him. "Eight? That's quite a lot. Are you sure you can bring them with you?"

"I'm sure," Bell nodded.

"Alright, fine. Please wait."

When Bell looked around for Lili, he saw her talking with Rosie. Rosie was quite animated in talking with Lili. Wait, every time they were outside, Lili shrouded herself in an illusion, creating two fake Chientrope ears. However, her Pallum height stayed the same. Could it be that Rosie did not realize that she was talking with a teenager? That might be possible, Bell concluded. Looking at her mannerism, Rosie looked like she had found a playmate.

Bell caught Lili throwing a 'help me' look at him. However, he wanted to introduce Lili to Rosie in the first place, so the two getting along was to his benefit. Maybe he'd subtly tell Rosie that Lili was older than her by a large margin later.

Soon, Estelle came back with the flowers.

"Here it is, Bell. Eight wreaths of peony. Are you sure you can bring them all? You can bring half first and then come back here later."

"It's fine. Lili, help me please," he called to Lili, who was still stuck talking to Rosie. The relief on her face was very palpable, although soon it turned into annoyance when she realized Bell had a slight smile on his face.

"Master Bell, why didn't you save Lili sooner?" She pouted, complaining about the situation.

"Here, can you take four of them? I'll take the other half."

"Okay-wait, you didn't answer Lili's question!"

"How much for this, Mrs. Estelle?"

"Master Bell!"

Estelle laughed, seeing Bell's playful grin as he consciously ignored Lili's complaints. "It's fine, Bell. It's all on the house."

Bell's smile quickly turned into a frown. "I can't do that, Mrs. Estelle. I respect you too much to simply take it just like that."

"A previous customer was very generous in giving his tip. It's enough to cover the cost of your purchase," Estelle explained to him with a small laugh. "We didn't really expect that. So I decided to give free flowers to any incoming customers until the excess is covered."

Hearing that, Bell smiled. "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Estelle. I'm sure in the future, people will also be kind to you."

"Take care, Bell."

"Yeah!"

"Bye-bye, Big Bro Bell!"

"See you later, Rosie!"

Bell and Lili left the flower shop and went to the Adventurer's graveyard. On the way there, Lili pondered about the shopkeeper's decision. "Master Bell. Your kindness is infectious."

"I'd say that's a good thing," Bell replied as they continued walking to their destination. "Not all of them will follow me, and I'm sure no small amount between them will be taken advantage of by other people. But their decision to continue giving kindness is why I continue giving kindness myself."

"If..." Lili started. "If any of them became jaded, what would you do, Master Bell?"

"Why would I care about that? Everyone is different. No people are the same. Of course, some would have more patience, while others would be more short-fused. I wouldn't blame any of them if they became jaded. Still, I believe that their kindness will be repaid by kindness."

Lili was silent.

"In fact, when you think about it again, isn't the two of us being gifted these flowers is a repayment for some kindness we did in the past?"

"...That's jumping to conclusion, Master Bell."

"Still, isn't it more fun thinking that way?" Bell gave her a sideways smile.

"Lili hopes someday Lili can be as positive as you," concluded with a shake of her head. The mind of her teacher was too complex for her to figure out.

"Start by not being as grumpy as you normally are."

"Master Bell!"

He only laughed at Lili's pout.

Soon, they arrived in the Adventurer's Graveyard. Bell patiently looked on the gravestone's name, having been told by Eina about the identities of the ashes he cremated.

Five minutes of searching yielded results when they finally found the correct gravestones. There were fresh flowers on them, though none that Bell recognized. He put his own onto the pile of flowers.

Bell put his hand together and prayed. He did not know the circumstances. However, the result was the death of five Adventurers of the Ganesha Familia. No matter how he thought about it, it wasn't worth it. His Level Up was not worth five dead bodies. And so, he prayed that their souls would find happiness.

"Lili," Bell called to her after he finished his prayer.

"Yes, Master Bell?"

"Do you think it's a fair trade-off? Five lives for my Level Up."

There was silence.

"No. What happened before we stumbled upon the scene is something that we couldn't control. You shouldn't blame yourself, Master Bell," Lili tried to nip that thought before it could fester after thinking for a while.

"I'm not blaming myself. I'm just asking you. Do you think it's a fair trade-off?"

"...Lili personally thinks it's not."

"We shouldn't judge one life with another, but I agree. That's why I promise you, I'll make it worth it," Bell turned his attention to the gravestones, the last mark of the five people who had allowed him to have a chance to face that Minotaur. Bell bowed his head towards them as last gratitude.

This would be the last time he ever compared lives.

"Come on, Lili. There are still other gravestones we need to visit."

Lili blinked. "That's right. Master Bell bought eight. We only put five here."

"The other three are a little further away. Let's go."

Apparently, a little further away in Bell's dictionary meant their next destination was a secluded place where no other gravestones were in their sight. Lili took a look at the headstones, but they had no name or dates.

"Master Bell, whose graveyard are these?" She questioned her teacher.

"I don't know," Bell put the flowers on each of them. "But when I stumbled here, it was so dirty and unkempt."

Lili sighed in understanding. "Of course, you took care of them. Typical Master Bell."

"Yup. I thought since we are going to pay respect to the Ganesha Familia members, why not visit these graves too?" Bell then put his hand together again.

Lili also did the same. While the Ganesha Familia members she honestly felt bad for, this one she couldn't quite put her emotions behind. These were strangers' graves, nothing connected to the two of them. She wasn't Bell who could empathize with anyone and everyone, even the monsters.

But, even if these were strangers' graves, even if she couldn't feel for them, she could, at least, pray for whoever they were.

"Thank you for indulging me, Lili."

"It's okay. Lili understands."

"Let's go home."

"So, how does your first run in the Dungeon as a Level Two?" Hestia asked Bell as the three of them had dinner. The meal wasn't lavish, but at least it wasn't Jagamarukuns.

Bell swallowed the food before he replied. "Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Until Welf comes back with us, I think we're going slow on the first floor to train Lili."

Hestia's attention turned towards the said girl. "So, Miss Supporter. I guess you're growing out of the nickname, huh?"

"It's fine."

"How is the training, anyway? Is your past life's technique truly teachable, Bell?"

"We still don't know," Bell replied with a frown. "I mean, I taught Lili the basics of swordsmanship and the breath. I haven't taught Lili about Breath of Water's actual stance yet. I want Lili to understand how it feels to use her sword."

"Did she do good? Miss Supporter, did you do good?"

"Why are you the one excited about this, Lady Hestia?" Lili grumbled. "It's okay."

"I couldn't help it. If everything goes to plan, you're going to join our Familia. Of course, I'm gonna be excited about you!" Hestia pointed out.

"Oh right. Master Bell, back in the Dungeon, there was this one time I felt as if I was stronger than I was supposed to be," Lili reported her weird feeling. When she was full of adrenaline in the Dungeon, she felt nothing amiss. Now that she could adequately process her experience, she caught that one irregularity.

"Can you describe your feeling?" Bell put his spoon down on the plate, interested to hear more about it. "I might know things or two."

"Well, you know Lili's skill isn't as good as you, Master Bell. Lili couldn't easily slash the monster's neck in one swing, nor was there any power behind Lili's swings," Lili started to which Bell nodded at her explanation. "Lili had to hack the monsters a few times until they're dead. But there was this one instance where Lili's slash threw the body of a goblin further than Lili's expectation. It's like..."

"Like there is a surge of power from inside you?" Bell questioned.

"Yes! But Lili's next try doesn't result in anything like that. It felt like a coincidence, but Lili thinks it's worth mentioning."

Bell only smiled.

"Master Bell?"

In fact, his eyes teared up, even if his smile did not falter.

"Bell? Why are you crying?" Hestia immediately went to Bell's side.

"Ah... I feel really relieved; I couldn't stop my tears." Bell's sobs were clear for Lili and Hestia. The two women looked at each other, silently screaming to understand Bell.

"Bell..."

"Sorry," he wiped the tears using his shirt. "I must look like a fool."

"Well, no... but if you suddenly cried like that, we're going to be worried." Hestia moved to hug him. Bell did not resist. A hug from his Goddess might be what he needed to feel better.

"I'm just... Lili, what you described is you perfectly replicating my breathing technique." Silence. Both Hestia and Lili were stunned by Bell's admission. "Full Focus Breathing isn't a recognized skill; if it was, I'd have it written on my back. However, suppose you're doing it correctly. In that case, you're going to have a boost in your overall base power, speed, and endurance. How do you think I managed to punch above my weight class at Level One?"

Lili looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't. Her mouth kept opening and closing.

"So those are tears of happiness, huh?" Hestia asked him as she released her embrace.

Bell nodded. "I'm delighted because that means these dreams of mine aren't just something I made up. It's proof that once, the person I looked up to really exists. Kamado Tanjirou is real."

Ah, now they understood why Bell cried. All these times, Bell was afraid that the boy he looked up was just some fictional character he conjured up in his mind. However, with Lili managing to tap into the same power Bell mastered, it meant that it wasn't made up. Bell Cranel was the reincarnation of someone named Kamado Tanjirou from the Far East.

"Master Bell... Lili thought to use it, you need to have your Falna updated!"

"That's the Breathing Style. The swordsmanship. And no, you don't need the Elemental Respiration to use it. From my understanding, the skill materializes the Style. So if you don't have it, you can still do the kata perfectly, just no water or fire."

"...Ah! Then Lili can theoretically use it now?"

At this, Bell scoffed. "You haven't even mastered the basics. Come back later when you can confidently go to the fifth floor alone."

Lili pouted. "You know Lili can't because Lili's status is still low! Whatever. Lili will just master the basic, so you can eat your words, Master Bell!"

"That's the spirit, Miss Supporter!"

Bell laughed at Lili's reaction. That was pretty much the real Lili. Sometimes he'd poke at her just to see her reaction. He was glad that Lili enjoyed her time with them to drop her guard like this.

"Continuing today's report, Lady Hestia." Lili began. "Master Bell's skill stands out too much! He can't use it freely, or else other Familias will take notice of it and try to poach Master Bell!"

Hestia looked at Lili, eyes wide and mouth agape. Then she turned her eyes on him as if asking, 'really?'

"After all my efforts hiding his rare skill... he got another one?" She muttered under her breath, unheard by anyone else.

"I thought it's a passive skill!" Hestia turned to Lili again.

"Lili thought so too! But Master Bell had to be Master Bell and got an unheard, rare, and valuable skill instead of getting a normal one." Lili stabbed the food on her plate in frustration.

"Goddess-"

"Don't 'Goddess' me now!" She shouted at Bell before turning to Lili again. "Miss Supporter, how does the Skill work?"

"Lili doesn't know how Master Bell activated it, but after it is activated, Master Bell's body glows, and the sound of bell chime reverberates around us. The monsters did not growl at us again. Instead, it was looking at Master Bell's lights. Or maybe they were listening to the bell chimes, Lili doesn't know."

Hestia facepalmed.

"Okay, okay. We can fix this. Bell, you don't use it unless it's an emergency. Understood." Hestia ordered, and Bell nodded in understanding.

"But what constitutes an emergency? Can I use it to save somebody else?"

Hestia bit her lip in hesitation. "...I'd prefer you use it as a last resort. If you can, try to save them normally first."

Bell wanted to open his mouth, but Hestia beat him to it.

"Listen, Bell. I am your Goddess. I am the one ordering you this. I will take any responsibility for any guilt you will have. I'll face other Gods and Goddesses in your stead."

Hestia's order was clear, and so was her assurance. She glaringly stated that if Bell were to be late in saving someone, she would not blame him because he was following her order.

Bell sighed. "I do not like this one bit, Goddess. But I understand."

Hestia hugged Bell again. "I'm sorry, Bell. But you're precious to me. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Sorry to interject, but Lili didn't understand why you don't trust Master Bell and had to make a point about this, Lady Hestia?" Lili raised her hand and asked Hestia. Her order sounded excessive to Lili.

This time it was Hestia's turn to sigh. "Okay. I'll show you something, Miss Supporter." Hestia turned to Bell. "Pretend I'm someone else, Bell."

Hestia faked a cough before smiling at Bell. "Oh goodie, it's Bell Cranel. I heard you have some amazing Skills to calm monsters."

"Err, that's... I mean, that's just rumor," Bell was caught off-guard by Hestia's request. He averted his eyes and looked at Lili, who only stared at him unimpressively.

"Lili understands. Master Bell sucks at lying."

"Come on, guys. Anybody would also be caught off-guard by Goddess's sudden request. Let me prepare myself first," Bell tried to bargain for his pride.

"No, Bell. You can't lie," Hestia pointed out.

"No!" Bell's brain tried to muster any proof that he could actually lie to someone. "I lied to everyone else outside this Familia and Lili that I trained in the Far East!"

"Hmm, that's actually true..."

"Did you explicitly state that, or does everyone come to their own conclusion while you only laughed without saying anything to disprove it or outright agreeing with it?" Hestia narrowed her eyes at Bell, who only blushed because he was caught lying again while trying to prove that he could lie. "I thought so."

"Heh, Master Bell indeed can't lie," Lili giggled.

"Everyone's against me," Bell murmured.

Hestia smiled at him. "Honestly, Bell. Your honest nature is also part of your charm. However, this time it's working against you. I hope you really understand the magnitude of the situation. You must not say anything to anyone about your new skill"

"I understand."

"Maybe try doing the same thing, Master Bell. Let everyone come to their own conclusion while you just smile at them. It works once. Maybe it'll work again."

"Okay, let's try again." Hestia faked cough again. "Hmm, Bell Cranel. I heard you have some rare skills that can calm monsters..."

"Ahaha, not as powerful as the rumor. And I don't think it's a rare skill. Maybe because no one else has tried it before, so I'm the first who got it."

"Then you won't refuse if I ask you to teach me?"

"Sure! Just be kind to the monsters!" Bell smiled.

"That's it!" Lili shouted suddenly, getting everyone's attention. "That's a good deflection, Master Bell! You are one of a kind Adventurer that is courageous enough to be kind to the monsters. No one will try the same even if you shout it to the rest of Orario. They're too logical to try your way!"

"...Hearing you say it like that makes me sound like a crazy lunatic for being kind to the monsters." Bell scratched his cheek.

"You are!" "That's because you are!"

Lili and Hestia shouted at the same time.

"But you're my crazy lunatic child," Hestia smiled.

"And you're my crazy lunatic teacher," Lili also smiled.

"But Miss Supporter's idea might work. Deceive them with honesty. No sane Adventurer will try it. Oh, as long as you say at first that you aren't liable in taking any responsibility should there be any dangerous accidents for those trying." Hestia nodded to herself before looking at Bell.

The problem was the deities. If they still wanted to snatch Bell even after that... She did not know what Bell would do. To Bell, this Familia was his family, and she would hate to know how far was the length Bell would go to preserve it.

Dinner ended without any more interruption. Before they went to sleep, though, Hestia remembered something.

"Oh yeah, Bell. Do you know why I want you to officially become Level Two today?" Hestia asked, hiding her grin.

"Huh? The faster, the better right?"

"Not quite. It's because tomorrow is Denatus!" Hestia pointed out, feeling proud of herself.

"That means... Master Bell will be given Alias tomorrow instead of next month!"

"Goddess... Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Bell. Good night."

(The next evening, Bell came back from the Dungeon to see Hestia grumbling something about 'shitty deities.' When he and Lili asked about it, she explained it in detail.

Apparently, the gods decided that his Alias would be Kagura. That made Bell really delighted, being called that name. Still, he thought he'd get something along the lines of Sword Dancer or something (Totally not because he wanted to get a similar name as Ais.) But simply being called Kagura was enough to make him cheerful.

Also, it turned out that since his name was Kagura, now the gods, specifically the one hailing from the Far East, wanted him to perform a Kagura dance for them. Hestia felt that she needed to inform him, but she had no intention to let Bell do it for money. Lili whined about it for a while, but when Hestia explained that she did not want to 'whore' Bell, Lili took back her words and agreed with her.

The two minds had a similar train of thought: Bell was too pure to be subjected to everyone's attention like that!)

A/N: Atelier Mysterious Trilogy and SMT V ate my time XD. Seriously, they're so good. Anyway, sorry for the delay. Is it even a delay when I didn't touch the documents for more than a month? Anyway. We're actually coming back to a day before the Denatus. I want to show Lili's growth and Bell's Soothe Bell, it wouldn't make sense to skip to after Denatus. But I think next chapter is gonna be a few days skip or even a week if I don't have enough material to develop the scene.

Soothe Bell. Yeah, it's not a passive or single target skill. If you notice, it is the substitute for Argonaut. Also their test-run actually saved someone! This is a point that just came to me one day when I thought about the scene. It would reinforce the kindness begets kindness theme that I love. Maybe someday I'll show Bell and Lili's reaction to a wild rumour about the Bell Chime of Hope.

But honestly, my favorite part of the chapter is the aftermath of Ottarl's visit to the flower shop and Bell and Lili's conversation after it. 'Isn't it more fun thinking that way?' This is actually something that I practiced in real life, to think positively and it actually brightens my days. I have to thank Aria the Animation for teaching me this way, and I hope it resonates with all of you.

This chapter is beta-read by Aurum Faea. Thank you so much for your offer. I know I miss some things that I don't know is wrong from the texts, so you really helped.