Bell Cranel's footsteps felt heavy, but an invisible force kept pulling him through the hallway of the old church. The air inside the building contrasted sharply with the cold twilight wind in the courtyard. The atmosphere here felt so warm, filled with the soothing scent of mahogany, the aroma of freshly brewed black tea, and the tenderness of a house that had long been lived in.
At the end of the hallway, the church's central room opened wide, illuminated by the gentle glow of magic stones. There, sitting on a velvet-upholstered sofa, a silver-haired woman turned her head toward the entrance.
Bell stopped in his tracks instantly. His heart pounded so hard it practically hammered against his ribs.
The woman had the exact same silvery-white hair color as Alfia, but the aura she radiated was like heaven and earth. If Alfia was a deadly, absolute blizzard, this woman was a warming spring sun. Her smile was so gentle, her features radiated peace, and her blue eyes looked at the world with genuine kindness. She wore a loose, long dress that draped over her heavily pregnant, swollen belly.
Meteria.
When the woman's blue eyes met Bell's ruby-red ones, time in the living room seemed to stop ticking. Meteria didn't show an overly shocked expression or the suspicious vigilance typical of Alfia. Instead, her eyes widened slightly, and her slender hands slowly moved to touch her own large belly.
An instinctive tremor that couldn't be explained by any magic or logic rippled from the depths of Meteria's soul. A mother's inner bond that pierced through the boundaries of space, time, and dimension. Without anyone needing to explain, without Venti needing to open his mouth, Meteria instantly knew who the trembling youth standing at the threshold of the living room was.
"Bell...?" Meteria whispered softly. Her voice was fragile but flowed with a longing that bewildered even herself. "Is... is that you, my child?"
Hearing that voice call his name, Bell Cranel's mental defenses shattered into nothingness.
The youth's knees lost all their strength. He fell to the floor, gasping for air. All this time, since his grandfather passed away, Bell had always forced himself to be strong. He went to Orario alone, was rejected by many Familias, nearly died multiple times in the Dungeon, and was cruelly humiliated by Bete Loga at the Hostess of Fertility pub—called a weak, cowardly tomato, trash unworthy of standing beside Ais Wallenstein. All the pain, loneliness, and burden he carried alone in his own timeline now overflowed to the surface.
Tears streamed heavily down Bell's cheeks. The sobs he had always held back behind his bright smile finally broke loose.
Seeing the youth sobbing uncontrollably, Meteria didn't hesitate for a second. She rose from her sofa slowly, ignoring her heavy belly, and stepped toward Bell. Meteria knelt on the wooden floor, opened her arms, and pulled the fourteen-year-old boy into a warm, tight embrace.
"Cry... it's okay. You've fought so hard all by yourself, haven't you?" Meteria gently stroked Bell's white hair, resting the youth's head on her shoulder.
"M-Mom... Mom..." Bell clutched the fabric of Meteria's dress, crying his heart out like a little child who had finally found his way home. He no longer cared about temporal anomalies or the laws of the world. In this embrace, he felt the warmth he could only ever dream of during his lonely nights.
In the hallway doorway, Alfia stood frozen, watching the scene. The harshness in her heterochromatic eyes faded, replaced by a faint tenderness she very rarely showed to the world. Zald crossed his arms over his chest, watching in silence with the respect of a veteran. Meanwhile, little Ais and little Asfi only peeked from behind Alfia's legs, confused to see the strange youth crying.
Venti stood beside Zald, sporting a genuinely gentle smile. The God of Freedom let the melody of happiness fill the living room without interruption.
It took quite a while for Bell's sobs to slowly subside. After being coaxed by Meteria, the youth finally agreed to get up and sit on the living room sofa. Meteria herself handed a cup of warm herbal tea to Bell with trembling, loving hands. Bell's nose was still slightly red, and he kept his head bowed, embarrassed to have cried so hard in front of so many people.
It was then that his gaze caught the figure of another woman sitting on the opposite sofa, smiling kindly at him. The woman had incredibly beautiful pale green hair and a pair of light brown eyes as soothing as a breeze.
Little Ais ran up to the woman and sat comfortably on her lap.
"Mom, that white-haired boy is such a crybaby," Ais said innocently, pointing at Bell.
Bell instantly choked on his tea. His eyes widened as he stared at the pale green-haired woman. Her face was a perfect, adult-version mold of the Ais Wallenstein from his timeline.
"A-Ais-san's mother?!" Bell stammered, his face immediately turning as red as a boiled crab. He hurriedly set his cup down and bowed in a panic. "I-I'm Bell Cranel! Please forgive my earlier rudeness! I-I deeply admire your daughter in the future!"
Seeing Bell's incredibly awkward, flustered reaction in front of Aria, Venti chuckled. Sylphie—or Aria—merely covered her mouth elegantly, smiling in amusement at the youth's innocence.
"Alright, alright, save your nervousness for later, Bell-kun," Venti clapped his hands once, taking command of everyone's attention in the room. He walked to the center of the room, shifting his tone to something slightly more serious. "I know all of your heads, especially Alfia and Zald's, are filled with questions. So, let's straighten out the concept of this confusion."
All eyes were now fixed on the twin-braided wind god.
"Time is not a single straight line," Venti began explaining, tracing his index finger in the air simply to illustrate branching shapes. "Time is a massive tree with many branches. This is what we call another timeline, or an alternate timeline. If a major event changes in the past, that change doesn't erase the future that has already happened. Instead of being erased, time will create a new world branch that runs parallel to its own."
Venti pointed at Bell. "For example, in the world Bell comes from, I probably never existed. Because my interference didn't exist, history progressed differently. Meteria and Alfia might have died from their illness years ago in his timeline. Sylphie might still be in the clutches of that dragon. And Orario is filled with a different set of tragedies."
Meteria covered her mouth in shock, while Alfia narrowed her eyes with a sharp gaze that harbored faint sorrow.
"However, in our current timeline," Venti continued, smiling as he touched his own chest, "I am here. I changed history. Meteria and Alfia will live healthily, Zald is here with us, and the world is marching toward a completely new future. Both of these worlds are real, walking side by side without erasing each other."
Zald, who was sitting in a single armchair with his arms crossed, snorted softly. He stared at Venti with an inquiring look.
"So," Zald's deep voice broke the silence, "when you first saw this kid on our way back from the desert, you already knew exactly who he was from the start? Is that why you looked so enthusiastic and immediately lured him to this church?"
"Exactly," Venti winked.
Alfia stepped forward, cutting off the conversation with a tone as cold as ice yet implying an unspoken concern. "Forget about tree branches or those complicated godly concepts. I only have one question, Venti. Can you return my nephew to his original world? He has his own life and friends there."
Hearing that question, Bell looked up at Venti hopefully. Even though he was incredibly happy to feel his mother's embrace, he still had Hestia, Lili, Welf, Haruhime, and his Familia who must be searching for him frantically in his timeline.
Venti fell silent for a moment, then placed his hands behind his head. An innocent smile slowly bloomed on his face, accompanied by a small laugh that sounded incredibly annoying to those who knew him.
"Of course I can. Returning him is easy," Venti answered casually. Then, with a guilt-free face, he added, "Because actually... the reason your beloved nephew got thrown into the past is my own doing. Ehe."
Silence.
A giant question mark seemingly popped up above everyone's heads in the room. Alfia stared at Venti with a blank, murderous glare, while Zald blinked foolishly.
"What do you mean?" Alfia growled, the air in the room suddenly feeling heavy again.
Venti hurriedly waved his hands before Alfia could level the church. "Listen first! You know when I went to the Dragon Valley in the north and faced the One-Eyed Black Dragon head-on to save Sylphie?"
Venti bluntly revealed the secret in a casual tone. "Well, while fighting that dragon, I created a high-level time seal that I call Temporal Severance. Most likely, the seal's anchor in this timeline resonated and connected directly with Bell's timeline, who was also at the Dragon Valley in the future."
Zald widened his eyes immensely. His jaw clenched as the pieces of information finally came together in his head. "Wait a minute... So that roar of the Black Dragon's fury that shook the entire world... that was you?!"
"Ehe. Yep, that was me," Venti answered with a wide grin, sticking his tongue out slightly.
While Zald processed that crazy reality, Bell Cranel, sitting on the sofa, could only gape in disbelief. His mind was spinning at maximum speed. This god in front of him... had just admitted to fighting the One-Eyed Black Dragon?! The worst natural disaster in world history that had slaughtered the Zeus and Hera Familias?!
Aren't gods strictly forbidden from using Arcanum in the lower world (Gekai)? Bell's mind screamed in confusion. No wonder the seal in the Dragon Valley in this timeline was so different from the seal he saw in his world! However, just as Bell was about to voice his logical protest, a memory flashed through his head. He recalled the incident on the 18th Floor of the Dungeon, when Goddess Hestia recklessly released a portion of her Arcanum aura to save Bell from danger. Considering that gods sometimes had crazy ways to bend the rules for their children, Bell decided to keep his mouth shut tight. There were far too many anomalies in this Barbatos Familia headquarters for his brain to process.
"Well, since the problem is clear," Venti clapped his hands together, bringing the atmosphere back to casual. "Returning Bell-kun to his timeline is not a difficult task, as long as I use the right anchor resonance. It'll take a bit of preparation, so for the time being, you can stay here, Bell-kun."
Venti walked up to Bell, patting the youth's shoulder with an inquisitive smile. "By the way, Bell-kun, in the Orario where you came from, is there an incredibly handsome and talented bard god named Venti?"
Bell blinked in confusion, then shook his head slowly with an innocent face. "No, Venti-sama. I have never heard of your Familia's name, let alone seen you in my world."
Venti snapped his fingers with a wide smile. "Exactly! Since I don't exist in your world at all, history there must have progressed very differently. So, relax. While we have a live witness right here, all of you are free to ask Bell about any events that differ from our world's timeline."
Hearing that, Zald's eyes suddenly flashed with enthusiasm. The gluttony's instincts instantly fired up. He remembered their conversation inside the horse carriage during the trip back.
"Kid," Zald stared at Bell with an intensity that made the youth's back stiffen. "In the carriage earlier, you mentioned your duel with Leon Vardenburg. You said he was your teacher who had reached Level 7 in your timeline, and that the duel was broadcast during a grand festival called the Orariopiad. Is that right?"
Bell swallowed hard, then nodded stiffly. "T-That's right, Zald-san. Leon-sensei is one of the strongest adventurers of my time."
A savage smile, typical of a battle maniac, blossomed on Zald's face. "A Level 7 from the future, huh... Interesting. I see your posture isn't bad for a kid who just jumped into the labyrinth, but your stance still has far too many openings. As long as you're stuck here, I will train you myself. I want to see the limits of what a Level 7 from the future can teach!"
Bell shuddered. Zald's intimidating aura as a veteran of death made him shrink back a little. However, before Bell could answer, a cold voice cut in from the side.
"Wait a minute, you stupid gluttony."
Alfia stepped forward, positioning herself between Zald and Bell. She glared sharply at Zald, accepting no argument. "He is my nephew. My sister's son. I will not let the mindless muscle of the Zeus Familia ruin his fighting style. I will be taking over this brat's education for as long as he is here."
Alfia then looked down at Bell. Her gaze was still cold, but there was a massive underlying curiosity regarding the youth's lifeline. "I want you to tell me every detail of your life in that world, Bell Cranel. Every battle, your enemies, and which god gave you your Falna. And after that, get ready to go down to the courtyard. I am going to erase the lingering traces of those pathetic movements inherited from that idiot man you call a father out of your muscles."
Before Bell could even process that threat, Venti casually chimed in from behind with a cheerful tone. "Oh, just a little extra information for your mental preparation, Bell-kun! This beloved aunt of yours is Alfia, the Silence of the Hera Familia. And just so you know, she just broke through to Level 8! Amazing, right?"
Hearing the legendary title drop from the god's mouth, the blood in Bell's face seemed to drain away until he was as pale as paper. His eyes bulged in horror as he stared at the silver-haired woman in front of him, then darted back and forth to Zald.
Wait a minute... Alfia? Zald? Bell's mind screamed in panic. Aren't those two names the figures that Leon-sensei personally mentioned as the objects of his greatest admiration?! And this aunt of mine... she looks so young, how can she already be a Level 8?!
He had just barely survived against the Level 7 Leon Vardenburg, and now he had to be tortured in the yard by his own aunt—the very person his teacher absolutely admired?!
Behind them, Venti stepped back with a subtle smile. He patted Bell's shoulder gently, whispering in a tone that was half-teasing and half-sympathetic.
"Do your best to survive your aunt's training, Bell-kun. The wind will always be with your prayers."
And amidst the warmth of the church room, a new training nightmare for the future hero had just begun.
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P - Gem_Blanks
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