"Training with Aiz-san, training with Aiz-san!
Even if it's only for two days, I'm going to train with her again!"
Returning to Orario from the educational district, my expression was completely serious, but now I couldn't hold back my excitement as I ran through the city streets.
Although I know how fickle I can be, I descended from the city walls after saying goodbye to Aiz-san and headed back home to the Hearth Flame Mansion, filled with enthusiasm.
It was already dusk.
With winter arriving, the sun set much earlier, dyeing the western sky with a beautiful crimson hue.
Everyone must be worried about my delay, so it's better I return soon.
— "Regarding the promise with Teacher Leon, she asked me not to tell anyone but the Goddess. Also, I have to deliver this letter that Mr. Baldr gave me. On the other hand, I can share with everyone what I experienced in the school district, but… what happened with Aiz-san… doesn't need to be mentioned, right?"
Well, anyway, right?
It's not something I should be spreading around.
And it's not exactly appropriate for the leader and a prominent member of different factions to secretly meet, is it?
I'm definitely not excited about having made this promise just between the two of us! Not at all!
With my perfectly crafted logic, still buzzing with excitement, I arrived at the mansion.
"Bell-sama, please have a seat."
"Bell, kneel right now."
For some reason, I ended up sitting in the middle of the living room, under the cold gazes of Lili and Ryuu-san.
With sweaty palms, I lowered my eyes to my knees and thought to myself.
"You seem to be hiding something from us. Just say it."
"I already told you everything that happened! It's just that… there are confidential things I can only talk about with the Goddess…"
"But besides that, there has to be something more. Like, say, a date or a secret meeting with another girl that you didn't tell us about!"
"Why are you being so specific about that?"
I had only arrived about an hour earlier. After dinner and recounting what happened at the School District, and helping clean up, they suddenly took me to the living room.
There, Ryuu-san was grilling me with an interrogation worthy of the Astrea Familia, while Lili was making deductions as sharp as a detective's. Terrified and seeing that they were hitting the mark every time, I couldn't help but tremble.
"Bell, you can't lie. That's something I admire about you, but there are times when your actions need to be corrected. This is one of those times."
"In short, your secret is way too obvious, so confess quickly, Bell-sama! Were you flirting with another girl at the School District or something?!"
"I didn't, I didn't! Really, I didn't!"
"Hmm… He's not lying, but it seems he's hiding something much bigger."
"Why is Syr still here?!"
While I tried to justify myself to Ryuu-san and Lili, Syr suddenly appeared and placed a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't help but scream.
Watching everything from a corner, Welf wore a look of disbelief, while Haruhime looked worried and Mikoto tried to calm her down, keeping her from coming closer.
With no hope of getting any help, I held my breath, looked for an opportunity, and… as the leader, even if it was the worst thing I could do… I ran away from there.
"I-I have to go to the Goddess's room!"
"Ahhh! Bell-samaaaaaa!"
I dashed down the hallway, hearing Lili's shouts behind me.
(Finn-san, I definitely wasn't cut out to be a leader… Although it's way too late to realize that now!)
Disappointed in myself for running away, even though I knew I was only postponing my problems, I hurried up the stairs.
(Bell-kun, come to my room alone later.)
Remembering the Goddess's words during dinner, I saw her room as a safe refuge and knocked on the door.
"Alright, Bell-kun, now tell me absolutely everything you're hiding."
And there, I faced despair.
As I entered the room, the first thing I heard was the God's command, waiting with a radiant smile. Resigned, I confessed the incident with Aiz through tears, kneeling on the floor. "Only the location changed—from the living room to the God's bedroom."
"So it was that Wallen-whatever-her-name-is who invited you to a secret one-on-one training session!? There's no way I'm allowing that!" Hestia shouted furiously.
"I knew this was going to happen!" I replied in a resigned tone.
"Even after kicking her out of our base! That stubbornness of hers is unbelievable. She shows up when you least expect it, tries to seduce you, and… as long as my eyes are open, I'll never allow you to train alone with her!"
It was clear that the Goddess, just like Lili and the others, had known my secret from the start. As with Syr, it's useless to try lying to the gods.
Lowering my head, already resigned to my training with Aiz being canceled, Hestia sighed and murmured:
"Though I'd like to say otherwise… What a time to have all this happen."
When I cautiously looked up, I saw her holding a letter in her right hand, sighing as she stared at it.
"Is that the letter Baldr gave you before dinner? What did it say?" I asked, curious.
"A few things… about the 'adventure' you promised Leon, and something about 'communication between the gods'," she replied, averting her gaze.
I noticed something strange in her reaction. As her black braids seemed to twitch restlessly, Hestia shifted her eyes between the letter and me. Finally, after a deep sigh, she declared:
"All right. I give you permission to train with that Wallen-whatever-her-name-is."
"Huh?" I exclaimed, surprised.
"I'll talk to your companions and make up an excuse. You just focus and train hard."
"R-Really!? Are you serious?" I asked, clearly shocked.
"But!" she added firmly. "No funny business! I'm only giving you permission to train. If anything inappropriate happens, I'll send Syr along with the strongest heroes to wipe you both out."
"Y-Yes, understood!" I responded quickly, startled by the terrifying threat.
After the initial surprise, the mention of such a dreadful punishment made me vow obedience without hesitation. Though I was relieved that I could continue my training, I couldn't stop thinking about Baldr's letter. What exactly did he write that convinced Hestia?
The goddess placed the letter on the shelf of a side table, but immediately pulled something else out: a needle.
"Bell, we're updating your [Status]."
"Updating my status?" I asked, confused.
"You reached the 29th floor during the last expedition. It's time to reflect the experience you gained. That's why I called you here."
Having no reason to object, I nodded and began removing my jacket. Just as I was about to sit down on a chair, Hestia stopped me.
"I feel like using the bed today."
Embarrassed, I lay down face-first on her bed. Almost immediately, I felt Hestia climb onto my back.
"Why are we updating my status in your room today instead of the living room?" I asked, puzzled.
"Because Syr will definitely try to spy on us, obviously!" she huffed. "It was hard enough protecting you when you were 'enchanted' by her. I won't let a single blemish touch your back—much less anything else! I, the Virgin Goddess, shall protect your purity!"
"'Blemish'? That sounds kind of…"
Before I could finish, a single drop of her divine blood landed on my back.
Hestia's indignation was as fiery as ever, and her chaotic energy made me blush. But at the same time… I couldn't help but feel grateful. She took such care of me—it was almost like she was treating me as if I were some kind of princess.
"By the way, wasn't that whole 'Olarimpics' thing from Hermes a surprise?"
Hestia suddenly changed the topic.
"Yeah, I didn't see that coming… But that wasn't the gods' fault, right?"
I replied, hoping to reassure her.
"Well, partly. We were all worried about you—afraid you'd get caught up in the mess between the city and the school."
While Hestia updated my status, we chatted about little things. Those quiet moments with her, though simple, felt precious. When the process was finished, she handed me the sheet with my newly updated stats.
[Bell Cranel]
Level: 5
Strength: G222 → 258
Endurance: F340 → 349
Dexterity: G245 → 287
Agility: F311 → 368
Magic: I98 → H107
Luck: F
Abnormal Resistance: G
Evasion: G
Multi-Attack: I
Magic
[Firebolt]
Instant-cast attack magic
---
Skills
[Argonaut: Heroic Desire]
Grants the right to charge up for a powerful active action.
[Ox Slayer: Bullfighting Instinct]
Greatly boosts all stats when fighting bovine-type monsters.
[Vanadis Tevere: Enchanting Resistance]
Blessing of the Virgin: Goddess Hestia.
Activates when resisting charm effects. Greatly increases all stats.
Grants automatic recovery of both physical and mental stamina.
"After the War Game, I've been out of the action for a while—but between the special training in the dungeon 'district,' the expedition to the 29th floor, and today's light mock battle with Aiz, I've gained around 150 ability points across all stats. My skills have definitely improved, but…
Compared to before, the pace of my growth has slowed down.
(Though Lili and the others might say I've improved too much.)
Specifically, it's similar to the boost I experienced when I first started exploring the upper floors after meeting Aiz."
It wasn't so much that I had reached my limit for growth—it was more like…
—"The barrier of Level 5… the dividing line between second-rate and first-rate adventurers."
—"Yeah…"
"When a Familia member has refined their 'vessel' to this degree, it becomes much harder to continue growing at the same pace. To climb any higher, they'll need trials and feats far more difficult than before."
The goddess leaned over my shoulder, watching me as I stared at the updated status sheet, my upper body bare.
I agreed with her.
That overwhelming sense of power I felt must also be part of what it meant to become a first-class adventurer.
The "vessel" I'd had up to Level 4 had now expanded significantly—in both breadth and depth—upon reaching Level 5.
The amount of experience—[Excelia]—required had increased exponentially, and from this point on, even raising a single stat point would become a grueling task.
Despite my unusual streak of consecutive level-ups, I had a feeling that someone like Ryuu-san might understand this beginner-like sentiment that came with being a first-class adventurer. Maybe we could even talk about it.
Without a doubt, this was a path that adventurers like Aiz-san must have walked before me.
"I wonder how much more you could grow with those training sessions with that Wallen-whatever-her-name-is,"
the goddess murmured, cutting into my thoughts.
"…We should ask Welf to help too."
She suddenly said this, leaving me puzzled.
When I turned to look at her, wondering why she was bringing up Welf now, the goddess gave me nothing but a wry smile and said:
"It's nothing—don't worry about it."
"Bell-kun, why don't we sleep together tonight?"
"W-What are you saying all of a sudden!?"
"I want to do something for you—something that Wallen-whatever-her-name-is could never top."
"What kind of competition even is that!? No! I can't accept that!"
As the goddess collapsed onto me like a soft, gelatinous slime, I frantically tried to fend her off, completely flustered by her bizarre proposal.
And so, while I struggled to handle her odd behavior, my mind kept drifting back to what that "adventure" Leon-sensei had mentioned could possibly be.
The dawn sky was painted in warm hues as the sharp sound of clashing metal rang through the air.
With a training dagger I had prepared myself, I intercepted the strikes of Aiz-san's scabbard.
Large beads of sweat streamed down my forehead as I panted heavily, the heat of exertion rising from my body despite the chill of winter.
"It's getting a little repetitive, maybe."
"Ugh!"
"The feint you threw with your right arm was good... but if you rely on it too often, it loses its edge."
It was the second day of my secret training with Aiz-san.
In today's sparring session, I had deliberately used my right arm as bait to set a trap. But she saw through it effortlessly, shut down any chance of escape, and disarmed me with just her scabbard.
I tried to counter with my left arm, but she knocked me back with ease. Aiz-san kept me at bay, calm and composed—without even breaking a sweat.
"If you save that move for later... it could become a more effective strategy."
"Thank you so much! Please, one more time!"
Grateful for her insight as a first-class adventurer, I wiped the sweat from my face with my arm and faced her again with my training knife.
From this second day onward, I wouldn't even get close to gaining the upper hand again.
Aiz-san had stopped using her "wind."
Now, she was blocking all my attacks with nothing but pure technique and refined strategy.
She was the very embodiment of an adventurer—one who turns the unknown into the known, unraveling every movement of my newly acquired fighting style as a first-tier adventurer.
On the other hand, I hadn't even begun to grasp a single thread of her combat technique.
(Half a year ago, I was far worse... but now that I've improved a bit, I can see even more clearly just how far I still have to go.)
What I lacked compared to Aiz-san and the other first-tier adventurers was painfully clear: accumulated experience as an adventurer.
Whether it was in terms of raw experience or sheer number of battles fought, I couldn't compare to someone like Aiz-san, who had spent five years honing her style, while I had only been in Orario for a single year.
If my stat sheet was the vessel, then in my case, it still lacked the core that should be filling it.
Compared to other adventurers, the gap between the size of my "vessel" and the depth of my "core" was absurd.
It was perhaps a side effect of being called "the fastest rabbit in the world."
"You can't do more than what's in the books unless you find yourself backed into a corner."
"You don't need to be an active rebel, but learn to break the rules from time to time."
"In combat, it's the unexpected that counts!"
When I was with the Freya Familia, Van used to point these things out to me, as did Hogni. By the way, when I asked, "What concrete examples of rebellion do you have in mind?" they both immediately answered, "Allen." It was very clear.
"The dignity of an adventurer." That's probably what will be expected of me going forward. Some sort of presence that compensates for my lack of experience.
"Your vision has widened."
"What?"
"You're stronger when you attack… so when you switch to a defensive stance… it looks like this."
"Ouch!"
"You're not bad on defense, but... the difference between your attack and defense is huge. When you attack, the pressure lessens. You stop being intimidating."
Right then, the discrepancy that was pointed out as a "lack of dignity" was hammered home as the sheath struck my foot. Although I didn't stumble clumsily, I stepped back to regain my stance.
My master had also hinted at this imbalance, and Ryuu had mentioned it to me as well.
By the way, my master never explains everything outright; he doesn't point out weaknesses directly and just keeps hitting me until I discover them myself. Ryuu, on the other hand, points out the areas that need improvement beforehand and forces me to understand them physically through the blows. Aiz's teaching style might be closer to Ryuu's.
— "..."
— "...What is it, Ais?"
At that moment, I realized the fight had stopped and snapped out of my thoughts. Aiz was staring at me intently. Then, with a slight look of displeasure, she whispered:
— "In the way you fight, I see... someone else besides me."
— "Huh?"
— "Did someone else teach you how to fight?"
Stunned, I understood immediately. I was thinking about my masters, so I gave her an answer.
Without noticing Aiz's expression, I continued:
— "Lately, I've been training in the mornings with the Master... well, with Hedin and Ryuu. They've been teaching me combat techniques, so I guess that's why."
Not only the Master, but the members of the [Freya Familia] stay in the empty rooms of our Familia's residence to protect Haruhime and Syr. As part of this arrangement, I managed to negotiate with the Master to train early in the central courtyard of our home. Something like a scaled-down version of Fólkvangr, though it might be a bit disrespectful to call it that.
Since I started working at the tavern, Ryuu has always been willing to accompany me for morning practice when she had free time, sparring with me in simulated battles in the backyard of the Goddess of Abundance. Now that we belong to the same [Familia], I guess I took for granted that we would train every morning.
Everything was going smoothly until the day the three of us coincidentally met in the central courtyard. It was absolute chaos! For some reason, neither the Master nor Ryuu wanted to cooperate. Instead, they started arguing about who would train me, which quickly escalated into a tense "almost war" situation.
— "This bunny is mine to train!"
— "I'm the one who will train Bell in the mornings!"
Neither of them wanted to give an inch at that time. I, being naïve, could only nervously smile and think, This is getting complicated...
"Everyone wants to say, 'I'm the one who trained him.'"
(──Wait a minute!)
Suddenly, I remembered something my grandfather once said:
A teacher's love is intense, strict, and sometimes overwhelming.
Though I had experienced those exhausting, hellish training mornings before, I hadn't realized until now that maybe I had revealed too much. Covering my mouth with my hand, I nervously glanced at Aiz.
Her face was pale—more than just despair.
— "Did you train with someone else besides me...? Am I no longer needed...?"
— "No, that's not it! You're mistaken!"
— "Bell... are you with two people? Three? Did you lie to me...?"
— "That's not true, Aiz-saaaaaan!"
With her finger trembling as she pointed at me, Aiz looked at me with a mixture of confusion and sadness. I tried to get closer to explain myself, but when I did, she lowered her head and then raised it again with a childish, annoyed expression.
— "Bell, in the end… you really are a delinquent after all."
— "I'm not Allen or Bete!"
— "It doesn't matter. There will be punishment."
Though I desperately tried to justify myself, the determination in her golden eyes was unshakable. Gripping her sword, she declared firmly:
— "Bell, I'm your teacher, did you forget that?"
Her words made my heart skip a beat, but it didn't last long. In the end, Aiz defeated me like never before, leaving me too weak to apologize. I never forgave myself until they made me kneel four times.
— "By the way…"
When the sun finally rose over the eastern mountains, we took a break. Despite my aching body, I seized the chance to congratulate Aiz:
— "Congratulations to Finn, Riveria, and Gareth on their rank promotions."
— "Thank you… I'll be sure to tell them."
After the Familia War Game ended and the Academy returned to the port, the news of the three leaders of the [Loki Familia] reaching Lv. 7 shook all of Orario.
Until then, Ottar had been the only one at that level, but with Finn, Riveria, and Gareth advancing simultaneously, the situation changed drastically. All three rose at the same time!
Although the [Freya Familia] had made a strong impression in the recent battle, the achievement of the [Loki Familia] sparked heated debates among the citizens about which Familia was truly the strongest.
As I recalled all this, I glanced at Aiz out of the corner of my eye. Though her expression rarely changed, she genuinely seemed happy for her comrades' accomplishments.
(…I wonder if Aiz knows anything about Master Leon?)
Thinking about the "strongest in the city" led me to reflect on the "strongest in the Academy."
When I first met Master Leon, I felt he was incredibly strong. Although you can't judge someone's skill just by looking, his presence rivaled that of Ottar.
In the end, I couldn't help but ask:
— "Aiz, do you know anything about Master Leon... Leon Vardenburg?"
— "Leon...? You mean the Knight of Knights?"
— "Knight of Knights?"
Aiz nodded and explained:
— "That's his title. Like Finn and the others, he's Lv. 7."
— "What!?"
"I've seen him fight before... He's incredibly strong. Maybe even stronger than I am now.
Master Leon is also Level 7! And apparently, stronger than Aiz?"
I had already sensed his extraordinary presence, but knowing it for certain left me stunned. Still, how could someone who doesn't explore the dungeon reach the same level as Ottar and other adventurers?
Lost in my confusion, Aiz looked at me and said,
"Finn and the others say the world remains peaceful thanks to the Knight of Knights."
...
"That's why everyone calls him a 'modern-day hero.'"
———
That final revelation about his reputation left me breathless.
A hero... of the modern age.
What does that mean? What does it really mean?
It's like... yes, like he's a character straight out of the hero stories I'm so passionate about.
(Professor Leon—the person I admire so much—is a hero?)
Suddenly, my heart began to beat faster.
The imposing figure of Professor Leon, always so admirable and the kind of adult I wanted to become, came clearly to mind.
It wasn't just admiration or envy; it was an overwhelming interest.
I couldn't hold back. I leaned forward and asked:
"Ah, um! Do you know anything else about Professor Leon?"
"I don't know much about the Knight of Knights... but Riveria and the others mentioned that he was in Orario even before the gods Zeus and Hera disappeared."
"Before the gods Zeus and Hera left...? More than fifteen years ago? Was Professor Leon already in this city then?"
"Could it be that Professor Leon is originally from Orario?"
While I tried to process this information, Aiz showed a somewhat uncomfortable expression. After hesitating for a moment, she finally shared what seemed to be a difficult piece of information:
"According to Riveria... the former Knight of Knights was like Bete-san."
"Huh?"
"Bete-san."
"You mean the Bete-san we know... the difficult one?"
"Yes, that very same Bete-san."
The former Professor Leon... was a difficult person like Bete-san?
Someone rough and rude, like Allen-san?
My confusion skyrocketed instantly.
What Aiz was telling me didn't match the Professor Leon I knew in the slightest.
Professor Leon—always so kind, refined, and charismatic—couldn't possibly be compared to someone as gruff and intimidating as Bete-san or Allen-san.
Even at the academy, we wouldn't try to solve an equation as absurd as this! There's no way to make those things add up!
Also, the word difficult had been used so many times today that I wasn't even sure what it meant anymore.
"That's why I thought maybe the Knight of Knights was a rough person…"
Aiz finished her explanation with a hint of awkwardness, while my face continued to reflect a whirlwind of emotions.
(This makes no sense... If I keep thinking about it, I'll just confuse myself even more.)
Without speaking directly to Professor Leon or to the god Baldr—who knows him well—this eternal mystery would remain unsolved.
With a mix of fascination and confusion, my excitement gradually began to settle.
To shift the strange atmosphere that had formed, I decided to bring up something that had been bothering me for a while:
"Um... if Professor Leon, someone as strong as they say, takes part in the Orario Games... wouldn't that be a problem for the city?"
"If the Freya Familia or Finn don't compete... it could be complicated."
Aiz tilted her head slightly as she answered.
It was adorable—but now wasn't the time to think about that. A strange sound escaped my throat.
I went ahead and reconfirmed something I'd asked before:
"Then, the Loki Familia definitely won't be participating in the Orario Games..."
"Yeah, they won't. Finn said he doesn't care who wins."
It seemed that news was already public.
Right now, the Loki Familia's planned expedition was stirring the entire city.
With four Level 7 adventurers, many in Orario had assumed they'd easily win the Games. Their sudden withdrawal was like losing the city's strongest weapon.
(This really... how is it all going to end?)
"With Finn absent, maybe everyone will place their hopes on Bell."
"W-What?! I-I don't think that's going to happen!"
Out of nowhere, Aiz said something that left me completely stunned.
"During the War of Familias, everyone was cheering for Bell... including me."
"…"
"I think Bell is the kind of adventurer who gives courage to others."
Aiz smiled again.
A sincere, childlike smile full of purity.
I was completely frozen. That warmth made my heart flutter, and in the end, I couldn't help but feel incredibly embarrassed.
If I really have become the kind of adventurer she describes…
Then that makes me truly happy.
I turned my gaze upward.
As I looked at the blue sky beside Aiz, my thoughts drifted toward the Orario Games and how others might see me.