After a few simple adjustments, Bell was back to normal.
Having grasped the crucial reason behind this "ceremony," Bell now felt even more willing to discard every external power that clung to him.
The purer the self, the purer the strength it could draw out.
"My power really is troublesome in some ways."
But Bell still accepted that power with a smile.
As for what kind of power he would gain after ascending—Bell couldn't help feeling a quiet sense of anticipation.
After changing into fresh clothes, Bell stepped out of the room with that anticipation in his chest.
At this moment, all five goddesses were already seated in the living room.
They were paying close attention to Bell's sect dissolution today. Especially the advancement ritual afterward—this was the most important part for them at this stage.
Hestia, unusually awake so early in the morning, sat on the sofa with her arms crossed. Her dangling legs tapped repeatedly against the floor, and her eyes kept drifting toward the bedroom downstairs.
"Strange. Why is Bell waking up so late today? He's usually already up by now."
"Hm, it is strange," Freya responded. "But Bell also has secrets he doesn't want us to know just yet."
Her gaze shifted briefly toward Artemis. The latter blinked in confusion and pointed at herself. Freya chuckled and nodded.
"Bell used an unknown method to bring you from another world, so naturally he has ways of bringing other things over. I imagine that's a secret Bell has always kept. Still, that child has never deliberately hidden it from us."
Yes—Bell had never tried to hide it.
Just like when he saved Artemis. Had he wanted to keep it secret, he never needed to bring out that divine core. No one would have ever known.
But Bell brought it out anyway.
"Today is an important day for Bell—crucial to his advancement. I believe what he must discard this time, aside from the 'Falna System,' also includes other things he acquired elsewhere."
"Today is the day he must abandon everything. Naturally, he'd need time to prepare, so waking up late isn't surprising."
Freya's reasoning was sound. Everyone was already aware of the things Bell hadn't explained yet—Artemis's divine core especially, which was impossible to hide.
They all knew. But none of them ever exposed that shared understanding. In their hearts, they all acknowledged one thing:
Bell was allowed to have his own little secrets.
"Sorry I'm a bit late today."
Just as they continued to wait, Bell's voice sounded from behind them. The goddesses turned, but the moment they saw him, all of them froze in surprise.
It wasn't that Bell looked particularly refreshed or dignified today.
It was that his presence felt utterly different from before.
Previously, they could sense a faint warrior's aura in Bell. But now—even that slightest trace of a warrior had vanished, replaced with a much purer, almost innocent presence.
Except—it still wasn't fully pure. There were faint hints of Law mixed within it.
Such change was unusual, but immediately they realized the reason Bell had woken late—this was his state after discarding so many things.
Now, only the Falna System remained. Once he completed the sect dissolution, Bell's aura would change yet again—becoming even purer.
Realizing this, the goddesses found themselves looking forward to the final form Bell would take.
"Bell, have you finished handling what needed to be handled?"
Bell nodded slightly, but then gave a small shake of his head.
"There are still a few final things left. One is Artemis's divine core, which can't be processed yet. I'll need to meet with Miss Root after the ritual to retrieve Artemis from her."
Ah—Artemis.
The goddesses were reminded of her situation. For Bell to bring Artemis back, he would inevitably have to face the world's Creator.
This made Hestia worry.
"Bell, there won't be any problems, right? What if that 'world' makes things difficult for you?"
"...She won't go that far."
Bell understood her concern, but he also found her phrasing odd. If his guess was right, that being was a true three-digit—the so-called omniscient and omnipotent.
"My mother and that one working together was an investment in me. Artemis is an obvious bargaining chip to her. Why would she fight me for her? If anything, she probably wants me to seek her out, though I still don't know why.
"If I knew her intentions, I could seize the initiative. If not, then I'll simply have to hear what she has to say."
If he could seize the initiative, certain conversations would be much easier.
This was Bell's habit—he preferred steering the flow of dialogue, guiding topics toward advantageous ground.
When he lacked the initiative, he adapted. Normally, Bell would avoid such situations entirely if he couldn't gain control and would even distance himself.
But not this time. There was no avoiding this matter.
He could only listen first.
He needed to hear why Miss Root and his mother had "invested" in him.
"But before that, I need to complete the dissolution ritual."
Indeed, dismantling the "Falna System" had to come first. Only after dissolving it could he begin the next steps.
Bell turned his gaze toward Hestia. She understood instantly and rose from her seat.
"Alright, let's begin. Bell, take off your clothes."
"Yes."
Bell nodded, stepped into the center of the living room, removed his clothing, and knelt, presenting his back to Hestia.
Standing behind him, Hestia took a deep breath. She had reviewed the ritual countless times—she would not make a mistake today.
Pricking her fingertip with a fine needle, she used her blood-tinged finger to trace god script across Bell's back, updating his status, then inscribed the divine characters representing release.
Like a flame lifting from a surface, the emblem symbolizing the deity on Bell's back slowly faded away.
In that moment, Bell completed the "Dissolution of the Guild," erasing his name completely from the ranks of adventurers.