10 Luck, Love, and Invitations

Bell woke up from a restless sleep. The events of yesterday had pulled him in so many different directions that his mind seemed ready to pull him apart. The one that naturally came to the forefront was what transpired with Aiz.

"She doesn't feel the same way. You knew that already. This is nothing to be upset about," he tried to tell himself. But yesterday was different. He all but confessed how he felt, yet Aiz had fled from him. She didn't want him. She wanted to know how he grew so quickly. She wanted his skill.

Fresh tears filled his eyes, but he quickly shook his head and wiped them away.

"No," he told himself. "I won't let this stop me."

Getting up, he quickly dressed and made his way downstairs with the intent of continuing his 'mental training' after he'd eaten.

"At least it'll keep my mind off things for a while."

He entered the kitchen being greeted by the sight of Haruhime working on breakfast.

"Morning, Haruhime," he said with a smile.

"Oh! Bell-sama! Good morning," she greeted. "Would you like some bacon and eggs?" she asked.

"That sounds great."

Bell enjoyed his meal, focusing on the flavors and tastes to ease his mind before turning back to Haruhime.

"Has Hestia gone to work already?" he asked.

"Actually this is her day off so she's still sleeping. I believe Lili-san is doing the same. Welf-san is at his forge and Mikoto-san is taking her morning bath," the two shared a laugh at this. "As for Ryuu-san, she left to explain things to her friends at the Hostess of Fertility and pick up her things."

"That's good. I'm sure they'll be relieved."

Bell finished eating and cleaned his dishes before bidding Haruhime goodbye and leaving the manor.

Now out in the open air, he took a deep breath, and smiled before turning in the direction of Sword Street.

Finding the store that Achilles had told him about, he slowly entered, nervous of what he'd find.

"Hello?" he called.

"Be right there," a voice called from the back.

A moment later a middle-aged dwarf man walked up to the counter.

"Oh, well if it isn't the Rabbit Foot," he said with a smile. "What can I do for you young sir?"

Bell blushed and began to fidget before he mustered the courage to answer.

"I was told to ask for 'the good stuff'."

The dwarf seemed honestly surprised, but soon burst out laughing and nodded.

"I see. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised. A young, handsome, and famous fella like you must be very popular with the ladies."

Bell wanted to deny what the dwarf was obviously thinking, but he knew it was pointless. And he wasn't completely wrong.

"Here ya go lad. As this is your first time, I'll throw in an extra vial for half price. So, two vials of 'the good stuff' for 30,000 valis!" the dwarf offered.

The price staggered Bell, but Achilles had warned him the stuff was expensive. Luckily he had some of his own money saved up and so could pay for it without hurting the familia.

So, as expensive as it was, and as mortified as he was, he paid for the items.

"Have fun kid."

Bell left as quickly as possible.

Quickly making his way through the city streets, he headed toward the Pleasure District. Reaching it, he made sure he entered without being seen and then continued to sneak his way to Belit Babili.

Two Amazons were standing guard outside its gate when he arrived and, seeing him, they smiled.

"Rabbit Foot! You here for more 'training'?" one of them asked with a giggle.

He scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, if you're all not too busy," he said sheepishly.

"We're never too busy for you," the other guard stated. "Go on inside. We won't be able to join you until our shifts over, but when it is, you can bet you'll be seeing us again."

A light blush appeared on Bell's cheeks, but that didn't stop him from smiling and thanking the two before making his way inside.

Entering the former home of Ishtar, it didn't take long for him to be discovered.

"Rabbit Foot!" cried Sharay as she rushed over to him. "You here to be 'trained' again?"

"Uh, yes, if it's not too much trouble to ask."

"It's no trouble at all. But," she looked around. "Where's Achilles? Someone already pick him up?" she asked with a small pout.

"Oh, no. He's actually in the Dungeon right now. It's a bit of a story," he answered.

"Really?" Saray asked mischievously. "In that case no need to wait around. I'll take you upstairs and get you comfortable."

"Are you sure? Should we wait for Aisha or the others?"

"No need. I can take care of things, and more importantly, take care of you," she said seductively.

A few alarm bells were going off in Bell's mind, but he was confident that, if things really became too uncomfortable, that he'd be able to escape the Amazon.

"Okay. But please remember the rules that Achilles set."

"Of course!" she replied with a smile. "I'll do only what you want me to do," she said.

The pair walked upstairs to one of the empty rooms and Sharay sat him down on the bed before getting on it himself.

"So, uh, how should we start?" he asked. In all honesty, he had expected Aisha to continue teaching him and would have preferred that, not because Sharay or the other ladies weren't beautiful, but because he knew her the best, had a level of trust with her and though the idea embarrassed him greatly, he felt her method of training was rather...nice, for lack of a better word.

"Well, first, we need to get rid of that tension. So," she changed her sitting position and patted her lap. "Put your head here."

"Um, okay," he replied before gently laying down and placing his head in her lap.

A moment later he felt her hand slowly begin to caress his hair.

"How's that?" she asked.

"It's, actually kind of nice," he said as he felt himself relaxing into her touch.

"I'm glad. I know we Amazons seem so scary, our first meeting, I'm sure, only reinforced that." Bell didn't say anything, but it was obvious from the way he tensed that that's how he saw it. "We're just a bit aggressive when we see something we like and, boy do I speak for all of us when I say," she leaned down next to his ear. "We like you." Bell shivered. "But, if the direct approach doesn't work, then we'll try a new strategy. In your case you appear to like a more gentle girl, so that's what you'll get."

"T-Thank you," Bell replied.

"Of course. Now just sit back, relax, and let me coax away those worries."

Bell, for all his previous concerns, found himself quickly relaxing under her gentle petting. Maybe lap pillows were his weakness, he wasn't sure. Whatever the case, he was soon at her complete mercy as his defenses dropped and he enjoyed her ministrations.

"You like that, Rabbit Foot?" she cooed.

"Uh-huh," he said sleepily.

"Do you mind if I call you Bell?"

"No. I'd actually prefer that," he replied, still so softly it was almost a whisper.

"Then you just keep enjoying my lap, Bell," she said, her own voice getting quieter.

Bell fell deeper and deeper into his comfortable stupor, unaware that Sharay was beginning to move.

It began slowly. A few shifts here and there to test the waters. Seeing that Bell was still deep in his pleasurable half-awakened state, she moved to the next step.

Reaching up, she removed the clothing covering her upper body and laid it on the bed, making sure Bell was still helpless before moving to the next step.

Slowly she began to shift her body so that she was above him, making sure to keep petting him all the while until she finally moved her hands to his coat and began to unbutton it.

Bell began to return from his stupor the moment the soft hand of Sharay stopped petting his hair. Slowly he began to remember where he was, who he was with, but most importantly, he took notice of the cool feeling on his chest and the loose feeling of his clothes.

Looking down, groggily at himself, he found his jacket open, his shirt lifted up, and Sharay petting his abs and chest like a woman possessed.

"Sharay?" he asked, still not yet fully understanding what was going on.

"Sorry, Bell, but seeing you so helpless beneath me awakened my instincts. I couldn't let an opportunity with such a strong male go to waste," she said as her hands found the button to his pants.

It took another couple of seconds for Bell's brain to fully awaken, but when it did, his eyes shot open and he cried out.

"Wait!"

Trying desperately to simultaneously put his clothes back on and get away from Sharay, he found himself in a battle with the Amazon for control of his pants.

"Come on Bell, just a few rounds with me. Just enough to ensure that I have a strong daughter with white hair and red eyes," she pleaded.

Bell, in spite of the training he'd received and the maturity he'd shown the last few days, could not handle that. Instantly his face lit up with a blush so bright one would have been able to see it in the dark.

"I...you...shouldn't...baby…!"

Luckily for Bell, and very unluckily for Sharay, the door to the room burst open and an irate Aisha walked in.

"Sharay," she growled.

"What? You don't get to hog him all to yourself."

The response Sharay received was for Aisha to grab her by her head and throw her from the room.

Bell let out a breath of relief.

"Thank yo-," he tried to say, only to have Aisha suddenly pick him up, throw her over her shoulder and begin transporting him to another part of the building.

A minute or so later they arrived at the same room they had occupied previously, with the reinforced doors, where Aisha promptly threw him on the bed before closing and locking the doors.

"You need to be more careful, Bell," she said.

Not in a position to argue, he nodded.

"I know. Thank you," he finally managed to say.

"You're welcome. Now, I can tell just by looking at you that you have something on your mind that's troubling you, and I can tell its not Sharay trying to pull something," she said.

Bell immediately tensed.

"I...I wouldn't want to bother you with my troubles," he tried to dodge.

"Bell, I'm a prostitute, listening to men's troubles is often a part of the job. You wouldn't believe how many men come to us simply because they want someone to listen to and comfort them."

"Really?" Aisha nodded. "But," he paused. "It's about the girl I'm in love with," he admitted.

"I see," Aisha replied. Things were silent for a moment before she continued. "Were you rejected?" she asked as gently as possible.

Bell shook his head.

"Not exactly. It's more that she just doesn't think of me that way."

Aisha sat down next to him.

"Mind telling me exactly what happened?"

Bell was hesitant to answer. Even his familia didn't know what exactly happened with Aiz and he wasn't sure he wanted to tell anyone, let alone Aisha.

"I know I'm probably not your first choice, Bell," she said, seeing his hesitation. "But I am here, and it's very clear that you need to get this off your chest. And in some ways I might be a good option. I don't know who this girl is, so it's a blank slate with regards to personal opinion, and I've spent years hearing and keeping secrets. I promise you, whatever you say here, I won't tell a soul."

The genuineness of her words hit Bell. The nagging feeling wasn't gone, but he knew she was right when she said he needed to get this off his chest. The only other two options he could really think of that he might want to share this information with were Welf and Achilles, maybe Haruhime or his grandfather, but each one of them came with problems, most of all, Bell recognized, Achilles, who already didn't care for Aiz and would certainly not appreciate her trying to use him. Welf would have probably been the best option as he would have listened patiently and given good, honest advice with how to deal with what he was feeling, though there was still a risk he'd hold some level of animosity towards Aiz for what happened. More importantly, he wasn't here right now, and Aisha was. In the end, that's what settled the matter.

"She came to our home last night," he began. "Saying she wanted to talk to me."

Slowly, bit by bit Bell told her what happened, a few times stopping to take a break and slow his racing heart or because his voice was beginning to crack. Finally, he managed to tell her everything, including that he hoped that training with her today would get his mind off what had happened.

Bell suddenly felt himself being pulled towards Aisha. Her arms wrapped around him, hugging him firmly, before she kissed his forehead.

"What a sweet, beautiful boy you are," she said gently.

"A-Aisha-san?"

"It must have been so painful for you. You shouldn't have had to go through that," she continued as though she hadn't heard his words.

Tears pricked Bell's eyes.

"I-It's f-fine," he tried to say. "I knew already that she d-didn't feel the same way. That's why I've been trying s-so hard t-to catch up with h-her. T-To be w-worthy of-," he wasn't able to finish as his words caught in his throat and the tears came down in force.

"That's it. Let it out," Aisha said, gently stroking his head. "Just let it out."

And that's what he did. Bell cried as Aisha pet his head, whispering soft nothings into his ear. They did this for some time, neither knew for how long, neither cared either, until finally, Bell, red-faced and even more red-eyed than normal, backed away, wiping away his tears.

"I'm so sorry," he said with no small hint of embarrassment.

"Don't apologize. You needed that," she replied.

Bell was still embarrassed, but had enough cognisance to recognize she wasn't going to accept an apology, so instead, he bowed his head.

"Thank you."

She smiled at him.

"You're welcome."

The two were silent for a moment, before Bell finally managed to smile at her.

"There's a smile," Aisha said, growing one in return. "Feeling a bit better?"

"Yes, but I don't know how to repay you," he replied.

"Think nothing of it. Your company is payment on its own. However, if you would be willing to do me a favor, that would certainly make me happy. In fact, this particular favor would be good training as well and will probably get your mind off things for a bit."

"What is it?" Bell asked.

Aisha smiled before removing her garments.

Unprepared for this, Bell blushed and looked down.

"You've already seen me Bell, no need to be embarrassed. Besides, you'll be returning the favor."

"W-What do you mean?"

"To fulfill this favor slash training session, you're going to have to strip as well."

Bell's eyes widened to an alarming degree at that.

"W-W-W-Whaa-?"

"Relax, Bell. All I want to do is for us to lay next to each. That's all, no naughty stuff. Well, besides the skin-on-skin contact."

This did little to ease Bell.

"Think about it. You've already touched me, this is just a fuller version of that. We won't be doing anything. Just cuddling, maybe sleeping, which it looks like you could use," she said pointing to the dark circles under his eyes. "I'll even allow you to keep your underwear on...this time."

"This time?!" Bell's mind shrieked.

"Please, Bell." His eyes snapped to her and he found his blush growing as she stared at him with puppy eyes. "Won't you do this for me? You did come here to train and I want to get your mind off your worries," she held out her arms. "Won't you let me ease away your burdens."

Aisha was good. There was no denying that. She had very quickly understood Bell's weaknesses, the honest plea of a lady being the easiest for her to exploit. Indeed, she watched as, within mere moments, Bell's resolve to deny her began to crack and crumble. One more good push and he'd fall. Right into her arms.

"Please, Bell. Won't you warm me, just for a little while?"

That did it. With moments, Bell, with a tomato red face, began to remove his clothing until he was in nothing but his underwear, looking down at the bed with an intensity that threatened to cause it to burst into flames.

"Thank you," Aisha said, cupping his cheek. "Now come," she said, lifting up the sheets and snuggling in them. "Join me," she instructed while holding open the blankets.

Bell, still red-faced, but resolved to do what he had come there to do, slowly crawled over to her and under the sheets. Once he did so, Aisha threw the covers over them and pulled him close, smashing her chest against him in such a way that could only be described as sinful.

"Comfy?" she asked.

Bell couldn't find the words to answer, causing her to laugh.

"Relax, Bell. Nothing's going to happen. I swore I wouldn't try to force myself on you again and I meant it. I rather like these visits and want you to continue coming back. As such I will never force the boundaries too far, only enough to give you some experience with us women. Okay?"

Bell, now finally calm enough to respond, nodded.

"Okay."

"Good. Now, just relax. Feel me against you. My warmth. My smoothness. Let it wash away your troubles and lure you into a restful sleep."

Bell did as requested, gently running his fingers along Aisha's body, never going anywhere too daring, but exploring enough to understand very well the warmth and smoothness she described.

"That's it," she whispered. "Let me be the guardian of your sleep. The assurance you need to let all your troubles blow away so that you can fall into a restful slumber. Let my arms be your walls and my warmth be your guide into peace," she said softly as a feather on a breeze. "Sleep, Bell," she stroked his hair. "Sleep."

Bell's eyes grew heavy as Aisha softly drew him into sleep. A part of his mind warned him of the potential dangers of this, reminding him of what had only just happened with Shary. But another, stronger part of his mind, reminded him of what Aisha had said and that her word was to be trusted. And so, slowly but surely, Bell drifted into restful sleep, his troubles forgotten thanks to Aisha's kindness and warmth.

"That's a good boy," she said once he had fallen asleep. "People like you shouldn't have trouble sleeping," she punctuated this by kissing his forehead. "Now, you'll have to forgive me if I decide to take advantage of this situation just a little bit," she said.

With that, she snuggled more deeply into the bed, pulling Bell even closer to her, smiling all the while, before falling asleep herself.

Aiz woke up early like she usually did and with a goal in mind. Find Bell, apologize, and try to figure out what these odd feelings were.

She quickly dressed and made her way downstairs only to find Riveria standing by the main entrance.

"Figured you head out as soon as possible."

"Morning, Riveria. Yes, I was planning to go find Bell and talk to him again like you suggested."

"That's good. But you should know, Aiz that most people don't wake up as early as you so he and the rest of Hestia familia may still be asleep, and waking them would likely not be a good foot to start off on." Aiz's shoulders slumped. "Might I suggest you eat breakfast first. Not only will it take up some time, but it'll also prevent any interruptions from your stomach during your talk with Cranel-san."

Having not eaten anything since early yesterday due to everything that happened, Aiz saw the logic in that and agreed.

The two walked into the mostly empty dining area and grabbed a few bites of food that had been prepared by the Loki familia chiefs.

"So, do you have any idea of what you're going to say to him?" Riveria asked.

"I was going to apologize to him for yesterday and ask him about the odd feelings I had."

Riveria quirked a brow.

"Well, the first part seems alright, but I'd caution the second."

"Why?"

"It may give Cranel-san ideas that can't quite come to fruition yet." Aiz tilted her head in confusion. "Instead, if he accepts your apology, you may wish to ask him about this girl he's in love with. Maybe hearing how he feels about her in detail will help you understand his drive and, in turn, how's he growing so quickly."

"And, gods willing, may help you understand what you may also be feeling," Riveria hoped.

Aiz thought about this for a moment. It seemed to make sense, as Riveria's advice always did, and so she soon after nodded.

"I understand. I'll ask him."

"Good. Now, why don't we talk a little bit more about how best to approach this situation."

Aiz made her way through the city streets with a purpose. Those she passed as she all but ran to the Hestia familia home might have sworn that she was prepared to do battle with some foe given the look in her eye.

Heartfire Manor soon appeared before her and she raced towards it, intent on talking to Bell and apologizing, even if she had to deal with his scary goddess.

However, a feeling of inexplicable fear suddenly that had nothing to do with said goddess suddenly fell on her, and grew stronger and stronger the closer she got towards her goal. Sweat appeared on her skin turning her hands clammy, and her heart began to beat so heavily that it seemed as though it might burst out of her chest.

When she was but a few paces away, she stopped, unable to take another step as she felt as if she might suffocate.

"What's wrong with me?" she thought as she tried to steady her breath. "Why am I so afraid?" She looked at the manor, her heart instantly beating faster in response. "Why do I feel like I should run away? That I should get as far from here as possible?" She shook her head. "No. I need to talk to Bell. I need to apologize."

Though this might have been her intention, the moment her mind turned to the white-haired adventurer she suddenly felt as though something were floating around in her stomach and her heart beat went completely out of control. This was only made worse when she remembered how their previous night ended and an image of his smiling face appeared in her mind.

A burning sensation now came to Aiz's face unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"I must be sick. There's no other explanation. I need to get back home."

Her decision made, she turned around and began her trek back home, with each step she took making her feel simultaneously better and far far worse.

Once more, Aiz practically ran back the way she came, barely paying attention to where she was going as her mind began to bounce back and forth between her alarming symptoms and her desire to talk and fix things with Bell.

"I need to talk to him. But if I'm sick I don't want him getting sick as well. But the more time that passes, the harder it will be for him to forgive me. But Riveria said she was sure he would want to talk to me even after yesterday. But why is that? And why was she smiling?"

So focused on her thoughts was she that she actually failed to pay enough attention to prevent herself from colliding headfirst into someone turning the corner.

Two bodies crashed to the ground, the sound of a bag dropping and losing all its goods mixing with the sound of two bodies greeting the ground with their butts.

"Ow," Aiz said, before realizing she needed to apologize and looked up. Her body froze and her eyes widened at seeing who it was.

Bell left the Pleasure District feeling much better. He had thanked Aisha again for her help, to which she only responded that it was her pleasure and that she hoped he would visit again soon. He promised that he would.

Quickly dosing himself in the vial of scent killer, Bell decided to return home, maybe picking up something for dinner on the way back.

Making his way through the streets of Orario, he began to check out the local stalls in search of something to bring home.

He found some fresh produce and pastries that would make a nice addition to whatever was made that night, which made him quite glad he had made sure to pack extra valis today.

Pleased with his purchase and feeling much more at ease thanks to Aisha, he began his journey back home with a smile on his face.

"I'll have to find a way to thank Aisha. I know she said it was her pleasure, but I think it's only right that I do or get her something in return for all the help she's been giving me."

He began to think about things he might get her or things he could do for her that might make her happy, the latter of which quickly brought a blush to his face as he knew full well what kind of 'things' she'd like to do with him.

Perhaps it was because of this embarrassment or maybe it was due to his Luck skill, but when he turned the corner, bag of groceries in hand, he found himself colliding with a mass of blonde hair and falling quite unceremoniously onto his backside.

"Ow," he said. "Are you alrig-."

His eyes widened as he found himself staring at Aiz. The young lady soon looked up herself and then joined him in a wide-eyed staring competition.

"A-Aiz-san!" he cried, shocked to find the girl who had been occupying so much of his mind the last twenty-four hours suddenly before him.

"B-Bell," she replied, as equally shocked. "I, uh," her eyes suddenly caught sight of his spilled groceries. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, quickly going to pick them up.

"Huh?" He looked down. "Oh! Oh no, it's alright," he said, quickly jumping in to help her.

They quickly picked up the spilled items, luckily finding nothing damaged, and stood up, where they proceeded to stare at each other in awkward silence.

Finally, after staring at the ground for far longer than any normal person would, Bell decided to break off.

"I-It was nice seeing you again, Aiz. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help last night," he said, bowing and moving to leave.

"Wait!"

He stopped and looked at her.

His eyes caused the odd feeling in her stomach to return and she averted her gaze.

"Can we talk...again?"

Bell, surprised and unsure of what else to do, nodded.

The two made their way through the city streets and alleys until they found a quiet place to talk; a secluded spot that was clearly used by couples and lovers as a secret getaway, which did absolutely nothing for Bell's nerves.

"S-So," he cleared his throat. "Aiz-san, was there another question you had for me?" he asked, doing his best to put on a smile, even though his heart was screaming out in dread at the thought of another question.

Aiz was silent for some time, each second filling Bell with more and more nervousness until it threatened to erupt forth from him. Finally though, she acted.

Placing herself directly in front of Bell, she looked him straight in the eye, before suddenly bowing as deeply as she could before him.

"I am extremely sorry for how I acted yesterday and ask for your forgiveness."

To say that Bell was surprised was a drastic understatement. Stunned would have been far more accurate. Bewildered would have worked as well. This had never even occurred to him as a possibility. As such, it took him a moment to regain his barings and make a response.

"What are you apologizing for, Aiz-san?" he asked.

"I treated you very poorly yesterday. I saw you as only a means to an end instead of the friend and comrade that you have grown to be. I was cruel and self-centered and I hope only that you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

Bell's mouth was wide open now.

"There's no need for that. Really. I understand why you asked," he quickly stated.

"But you were crying," she said, standing up.

"Oh...well...um," he found himself tongue-tied. He would have preferred that she didn't remember that, but given that she had there was little point denying it. So he had to try and figure out how to respond. However, the more time that passed, the more he found that he wanted to be truthful to her. After all, this was Aiz Wallenstein, the girl he loved. Truth was what she deserved.

He sighed.

"Yes I was," he admitted. "I just…" he stopped and took a deep breath. "I realized that I still had a long way to go be with the person I love," he said with a sad smile.

Aiz's heart clenched, causing her hand to instinctively reach for it.

"W-Why did you think that?" she asked, her voice low as if her very breath had been taken from her at that confession.

"I ...had a feeling that she didn't think of me that way. The way I thought of her," he said, unable to go further than that.

Before either of them knew it, Aiz had suddenly taken his hands in hers.

"I believe that she would be lucky to have you."

Bell's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as his heart began to thunder in his chest.

"Did she just…?"

He wasn't sure, but the possibility almost threatened to cause him to burst into flames from the sheer speed of which his heart was pumping.

"Y-You think so?" he finally managed.

She smiled at him and nodded.

"I do."

He knew what question came next. The question that needed to be asked. The question he needed to ask.

He swallowed heavily.

"Would...would you consider yourself lucky to have me?"

Aiz was not expecting that. She really wasn't expecting that.

"Would I…?"

Her mind began to try and find an answer to this impossibly difficult question that Bell had suddenly dropped on her. Bouncing around every which way, it tried, desperately, to find an answer.

"I…"she tried.

Her mind was practically screaming as it tried to find an answer, but failed utterly. Finally, when all hope seemed lost and Aiz's instincts told her to either just say whatever first popped into her head or run, and do so all the way back to Twilight Manor; another part of her sang the answer to her lips.

She smiled and grabbed her heart.

"I would. I would consider myself very lucky."

Bell's world stopped.

"She...she thinks she'd be lucky. She thinks that she'd be lucky to be with me."

Joy indescribable to anyone who has not felt it, but known universally to all who have, filled Bell to every corner of his being. Euphoria radiated off him as a smile so radiant that it stopped Aiz's heart for a moment, suddenly spread on his lips. And with it, a new need.

"Now. I need to tell you now."

"Aiz-san," he said, still smiling so brightly some might have thought it was the very sun. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" she asked, still stunned by the happiness pouring from him, but happy herself that he was smiling to brightly.

"I…" he took a breath. "I think you're the most wonderful person I've ever met," a noticeable blush came to her cheeks at this. "And I…" he failed again. "I…" the words wouldn't come out.

"I can't," he realized, looking back at her. "Not yet. It needs to be better than this. She deserves more."

"Bell?"

He sighed, but smiled at her.

"It's nothing. I just wanted you to know how happy I am to know you and be part of your life."

Something felt off to Aiz, but she didn't know what. As such, she decided to simply smile back.

"I'm glad you are too. Does," she looked down. "Does that mean you can forgive me?"

His answer was instant.

"Always."

Relief filled her and she quickly threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you."

Bell, once he got over his surprise, regrew his smile, and hugged her back.

The two hugged for some time, enjoying the silent comfort of each other's company before they finally broke apart.

"Thank you, Bell. Truly," she said.

"No need to thank me, Aiz. I could never be upset with you."

Her smile grew at that.

"I'm glad."

The two fell silent for another moment, not that they minded, before she continued.

"She really is lucky."

"Who?" he asked with a quirk of his head.

"The girl you love. I hope you two find each other."

Bell blushed.

"I-I hope so too."

Aiz gave him one final smile before turning to leave.

"Aiz!" She turned. "I… um, I can't tell you how I'm growing so fast, but...I'll talk to Achilles and ask him to train you...if you want. I'll admit he's a bit wary of you, but if I ask him as a favor I'm sure he'll agree."

Aiz's eyes widened.

"You'd do that?"

He smiled and nodded.

He soon found himself in another hug.

"Thank you, Bell."

"You're welcome," he said as he hugged her back.

The two finally broke apart, both bidding each other a smiling farewell and both, the minute the other was out of sight, grabbing their pounding heart and growing a smile that could blind the stars.

Bell, smiling unabashedly, made his way back home, bag of groceries in his arms.

Entering the manor, he made his way into the kitchen and put down his load.

"Oh, Bell-sama. Welcome back. Oh, I see you have groceries," Haruhima greeted.

"Just a few things for dinner," Bell said, still smiling.

Said smile startled Haruhime who stared open mouthed at him for a moment before snapping out of her Bell-induced stupor.

"My, Bell-sama, you're smiling so brightly. Did something happen while you were out today?" she asked.

Bell just shrugged.

"I guess I just had a good day," he replied.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Haruhime was content to leave things at that and simply smiled back before beginning to chat with him.

The two had been talking for a little while when the others walked in.

"What are you two talking about?" Welf asked.

"This and that," Bell said.

"Well, someone's in a good mood," the smith said, taking note of Bell's smile.

"I had a good day," the young man replied.

"Oh? Mind sharing?"

"Not much to say. It was just nice," Bell said, not wanting to answer for a variety of reasons, namely that he knew Aiz wasn't the most popular person in his familia and that any mention of Aisha and the Pleasure District would not end well for him.

"Bell-kun," Hestia said, her eyes scanning him skeptically. "You wouldn't be hiding something, would you?"

All eyes turned to him. Luckily for him, he managed to continue smiling.

"Of course not. It's just..." he paused for a moment to think. "After yesterday I was feeling a bit...muddled? Like there was a fog over my mind given everything that happened. Not to say I wasn't happy. Having Ryuu join our familia made me really happy, but that was just one of many things that happened and it was a lot to take in. So, today, I went out hoping to clear my head. And I was able to do that so, I guess that just makes me happy," he said. It wasn't a lie, not fully. Yesterday had put his mind in a fog, that was true. He did feel guilty for not being fully honest with his familia and he hoped they would be able to forgive him for breaking his promise, he just didn't expect them to approve of his training with Aisha and he knew that revealing what happened with Aiz would end with a very unhappy goddess.

However, they wouldn't have been his familia if they hadn't noticed this half-truth.

"Does this have something to do with Aiz Wallen-whatisit visiting yesterday?"

He decided not to deny that and nodded.

"Yes. She wanted to know how I'm growing so quickly. I didn't tell her, but it wasn't easy, especially since she was so adamant about finding an answer."

Hestia frowned.

"I knew I couldn't trust her. That's it! She is henceforth banned from entering Heathfire Manor!" she declared.

"Hestia," Bell said gently. "There's no reason for that. She just wanted to know something that I'm sure half of Orario is curious about."

"Hm, well…" the goddess didn't want to concede. "Alright. But she's on thin ice! And you are no longer allowed to speak to her alone. If she has something to say she says it in front of all of us."

Most of his familia seemed to find this a bit much, though Lili, and interestingly enough, Ryuu, seemed to agree with this statement.

Bell, knowing better than to argue at this point, simply conceded.

"Alright."

That out of the way, Welf decided to jump in.

"Well, while you were gone, Hestia officially made Ryuu a member of our familia."

"Really?" Bell asked excitedly.

Ryuu smiled and nodded.

"Uh-huh, she is officially our newest member and our second level four. Hestia familia is getting stronger everyday," Hestia declared with a laugh.

A few rolled their eyes at this, a few laughed, but overall, everyone was as happy as she was at this moment.

"Bell-san," Ryuu said, catching everyone's attention. "I want to thank you again for helping me. If it wasn't for you I'm sure I wouldn't currently be here now, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"I just wanted to help a friend, Ryuu. There's no need to thank me," he replied.

"Yet I will continue to do so, likely until my dying day," she said. "However, there is another subject that I wanted to bring up and that I've been talking with the others," she said, gesturing to everyone else.

"Oh?" Bell asked curiously.

"Achilles asked me to help you train while he's away. I hope to do just that and I thought that this might be a good opportunity to not only train our familia, but also to improve our relationships with other familias. As such, I took the liberty to invite said familias over to train with us."

"That's a great idea," Bell said. "Who did you invite?"

"Only Miach and Takemikazuchi familia for now. Hephaestus familia would likely be busy given they are a high ranking familia and Loki familia seemed out of the question."

Bell nodded.

"Great. Do we know when they're going to arrive?"

"They should actually be here soon," Ryuu answered.

Indeed, it wasn't long before the gate bell rang and the members of the Miach and Takemikazuchi familia filed in."

"Thank you for inviting us over," Takemikazuchi said with a bow. "We look forward to honing our skills alongside you."

"As do we," Miach said with a smile.

Bell looked over the gathering of adventurers, once more beaming happily.

"Alright, then should we get started?"

Everyone smiled back at him.

"Yes!"

Aiz ran all the way back home, a smile that threatened to tear her cheeks on her face.

Entering the mansion, she quickly went in search of Riveria to tell her the good news and thank her.

She ran around the mansion in a mad rush that startled quite a few, as did the smile that was so much brighter than anything they had ever seen on the normally stoic Sword Princess's face.

Some time passed before she ran into Tiona, Tione, Bete, and Lefiya walking down one of the hallways.

"Have any of you seen Riveria?" she asked so suddenly they jumped.

"She's in a meeting with Finn, Gareth, and Loki. Why?" Bete asked with narrowed eyes. "And why are you smiling like that?"

"I need to thank her for something she helped me with. It really made things better," Aiz said, still smiling.

"What did she help you with, Aiz-san?" Lefiya asked, happy to take in the joy of her dear Sword Princess.

"Yesterday I made a mistake with Bell that I wanted to correct and she helped me figure out how and things went better than I hoped."

Bete and Lefiya frowned, but weren't given time to respond as Tiona jumped in.

"Is that what had you all crazy yesterday when you came home from Heathfire Manor?" she asked.

Aiz nodded.

"Must have been quite the mistake," Tione said crossing her arms. "You practically gave us a heart-attack last night."

"It was. I hurt someone that I care for and was very confused afterwards. But I'm sorry I made you worry."

No one failed to notice the words, 'I care for', and the frowns on Bete and Lefiya's face deepened.

"No biggy, as long as things worked out in the end," Tiona said smiling.

"They did. Now, I need to go and properly thank Riveria. I'll talk to you all later," she said, before quickly making her way towards Loki's office.

"Wait, Aiz-sa-!" Lefiya tried only to have the blonde adventurer disappear.

"My my, quite the development," Tione said, causing her sister's smile to grow.

Bete growled.

"She said she didn't feel like that about the rabbit."

"She said she didn't know what you meant," Tione corrected. "And that smile would suggest that she doesn't think of him as a mere friend."

Bete glared at her, which in turn caused Tiona to decide to poke some fun.

"Ah, don't tell me the big bad wolf is jealous of the whittle whabbit."

"Shut up!" Bete roared before marching down the hall, leaving behind a smiling pair of sisters and one upset elf in his wake.

Aiz, oblivious to the problem she left behind, made her way to her goddess's office and, upon arriving, knocked.

"Yeah?" Loki called.

Aiz opened the door.

"Aiz-tan! What ya' doing he-."

She wasn't able to finish as Aiz, spotting Riveria, immediately went up and hugged her.

Everyone froze at the action, unsure of what was going on with Finn briefly wondering if someone had replaced Aiz with some sort of doppelganger.

"Thank you," Aiz said.

Riveria, after getting over her surprise, relaxed and asked the obvious question.

"And what are you thanking me for?"

"He forgave me," Aiz replied, hugging her more tightly.

Riveria smiled.

"I see," she turned to Loki and the others. "Would you mind excusing us for a moment?"

"Uh...sure?" Loki said.

"Thank you," Riveria replied before pulling away from Aiz and signalling for her to follow.

The two, leaving behind their three very surprised comrades, made their way through the halls until once more finding themselves at Aiz's room and entering.

"Now," Riveria said sitting down. "Tell me what happened. And don't leave out any details."

"I went to Heartfire Manor to see Bell," she began. "I was prepared to wait outside until an opportunity arose where I could speak to him again without worrying about Achilles or his familia." Riveria nodded. "But as I got closer, what I felt yesterday came back, only this time, worse." Riveria felt a touch anxious at that. "I was sweating, my heart was racing, and I had this feeling in my stomach that's hard to describe. I was sure I was sick and so turned back to go home."

"But you said you met Bell-san."

Aiz nodded.

"I did. On my way back I accidentally bumped into him. He looked so...I'm not sure. Afraid? Like he didn't want to see me. My heart felt funny again, like someone was squeezing it." Riveria nodded. "He apologized to me for not being able to help me last night, then turned to leave, but I stopped him and asked if we could speak again, which he agreed to."

"Alright. We're getting somewhere," Riveria thought.

"We then found a place to speak privately and I apologized."

"Good. And how did he take it?"

"He was confused. He asked me why I was apologizing, and I pointed out he had been crying, which means I hurt him. Doesn't it?"

"Most of the time, yes," Riveria answered.

"He then said…"she grabbed her heart. "That the reason he had been crying was because he realized that the girl he loved didn't feel the same way."

"I see," Riveria said frowning deeply as she honestly began to wonder how this story ended with Aiz smiling like never before and hugging her.

"But then I did something that I can't really explain."

"What did you do?"

"I took his hands and told him that I believed she would be lucky to have him."

That surprised Riveria.

"You did?" Aiz nodded. "You said that to him." Another nod.

"I don't think she can even begin to comprehend how much that must have affected him," Riveria thought.

"And how did he respond?"

"He asked me if I really thought so, and I told him I did. And then he asked me if I would consider myself lucky if I was with him."

Riveria's mouth opened and hope began to fill her heart.

"And...how did you respond?"

"At first I didn't know how to. I was so confused by the question that I couldn't come up with an answer. I even considered running from him."

"Please tell me you didn't," Riveria begged internally.

"But," Aiz's smile returned in full force, practically blinding the mother of Loki familia as she finally said. "Something gave me the answer. I told him I would consider myself very lucky if I was with him."

Riveria's jaw finally unhinged and her heart practically soared as these words passed through her ears.

"I'll be. After all this time."

Regaining control of herself, she smiled unreservedly at Aiz and scootched closer to her.

"Then what happened?" she asked excitedly. "How did young Bell respond?"

"He seemed really happy and then said he had something to tell me."

"And what did he have to tell you?" Riveria asked, leaning in, hoping dearly this ended how it sounded.

"He said that he thought I was the most wonderful person in the world," Aiz said, blushing. "But...then he stopped. He said he didn't have anything more to say, but it seemed as if he did and that he was disappointed about something."

Riveria's shoulders slumped.

"I guess I expected too much. Even after all that happened a confession isn't easy. He may have even felt that he shouldn't push his luck," Riveria conceded. Still, this was all wonderful and she was hardly going to be upset because the deal hadn't fully been sealed.

"It's possible that he did," she said. "But sometimes people have difficulty saying what they want to, as you just experienced." Aiz nodded. "So, did anything else happen?"

"We hugged," Aiz said bluntly. "And when we were about to leave, Bell called out to me and said that, although he couldn't tell me how he grows so quickly, he would ask Achilles to train with me as a favor to him."

"My my. How generous of Bell."

Aiz nodded happily.

"I hugged him again and then we parted ways and I ran back here."

"I can see why. Things went well. Very well. In fact I could barely hope for more."

"Minus one important revelation," Riveria thought.

"I am also very happy with how things went. I was afraid he wouldn't forgive me, but he did. He said he could never be upset with me," Aiz

"I wonder why." Riveria thought with a chuckle.

"Well, that's all wonderful to hear. I am very happy for you Aiz and I do hope to hear more such tales of you and Bell in the future."

"I'll be sure to share them."

"Good. Now, I should probably get back to the meeting, I'm sure the others will want to know what all this is about. Don't worry, I'll keep the details to a minimum." Aiz smiled. "You should probably go fulfill your duties, now without the burden of guilt weighing on your conscience. And, maybe when you have time, think a bit more on what Bell told you. You might find some of the information is worth a second or third viewing," Riviera said cryptically before departing, leaving a slightly confused, but still unquestionably happy Aiz, in her wake.

Three days had passed since Achilles had called for a pause to be placed on Ryuu's bounty and Hestia familia was now standing outside the Dungeon waiting for his return. They weren't the only ones either. Word had gotten out about Achilles's plan to gather 80 million valis in three days and the city was awash with interest in whether or not he'd actually pull it off. Betting pools had sprung up on the subject with nearly equal number betting on each side as the enormous sum seemed impossible to procure in such little time, yet this was the level seven captain of a legendary familia. Honestly, both seemed likely. At one point Mord came up to Bell and asked him whether he thought Achilles could pull it off.

"If he says he can, he can," was Bell's answer. After that, Mord had unreservedly bet a fortune on the ex-captain.

"Do you really think he'll show up?" Lili asked.

"He said three days, four tops, which means he could show up tomorrow and still be within the time he previously set," Bell said.

"You've been listening to the betting pool, Bell-sama," Lili said.

He smiled.

"Hard not to," Welf stated. "Half the city is bet against him pulling it off and the other half are betting that he will."

"I just hope he returns safely," Haruhime said.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Bell said. "The way he talked made it sound like this wasn't the first time he's done this."

"Anyone want to bet that it isn't?" Welf asked.

Everyone smiled knowing it wasn't wise to take that bet.

Mikoto's eyes squinted at something in the distance.

"There he is," she called.

Instantly, Hestia familia turned towards the entrance to the Dungeon and low-and-behold, there was Achilles, walking towards them with a smile on his face.

"Hello everyone," he greeted.

"Welcome back, Achilles," Bell returned.

"Good to be back. Now, where's Ryuu-san."

Said elf walked up to him.

"Hello Achilles-san."

"Hello Ryuu. Turn around," he ordered, twirling his finger.

They all gained confused looks, but Ryuu did as requested.

"Now to check to see if you did as I asked. Pardon me," he said before lifting up the back of Ryuu's shirt.

Lili's mouth fell open, Mikoto covered her eyes while Welf averted his, and Bell, Haruhime, and Ryuu all blushed.

"Good," Achilles said, seeing the Hestia brand on her back. "You fulfilled your side of the bargain."

Ryuu quickly fixed her shirt, her eyes looking anywhere but at her fellow familia.

"You could have just asked, Achilles-sama," Lili huffed.

"I believe my own eyes," Achilles replied simply. "Now, I believe it's time I turn in my magic stones."

None of them could fail to notice that Achilles didn't seem to be caring any magic stones. In fact, he didn't seem to be carrying anything but what he had when he left. Noticing this, Achilles smiled.

"Don't worry, I have them. And I think I managed to collect enough to pay off some of Hestia's debt as well."

The familia shared a look, but decided to trust Achilles. He hadn't failed them yet.

"Alright. Let's go!" Bell said.

The Hestia familia, plus one, made their way to the Guild, many curious eyes watching them all the way. Both Bell and Achilles could hear what was being said around them and it seemed that the anti-Achilles group were prematurely celebrating due to Achilles's apparent lack of magic stones.

"They're going to regret their excitement soon," Achilles said, smiling at Bell.

Finally, they arrived, and found a large number of people waiting outside the Guild, including Loki familia.

"Hello, Finn," Achilles greeted.

"Hello to you as, Achilles," the Loki captain returned. "We heard you had quite the spectacle for us today."

"Absolutely. Come inside and I'll show you."

Achilles walked inside, though not before a certain grumpy puppy dog growled.

"He ain't carrying shit."

They all entered and found Eina, Royman, and an army of Guild workers waiting behind the counter.

"Well Achilles, you better make good on your promise or I swear I'll have that girl arrested right here and now," Royman threatened.

Ryuu backed away, only for her familia to quickly surround her and glare at the fat elf.

"Pleasant as always, Royman," Achilles said. "But yes, I have your magic stones."

Achilles pulled out a single, hand sized coin purse, causing a few chuckles and noises of disbelief to pass through the crowd.

"That's it?" Bete called out, letting out a bark of laughter.

"Shut it, Bete," Tione said, her eyes quickly glancing to Aiz who seemed saddened by the sight.

"I must say, Achilles, I'm sorely disappointed," Royman said condescendingly. "I didn't expect you to pull it off, but this is just sad."

Achilles rolled his eyes before opening the bag and turning it upside down.

Suddenly, magic stones began to pour out of the bag like a waterfall. A pile soon formed at Achilles's feet and grew bigger and bigger, spreading out along the floor, covering more and more of the tiles as if the pile of magic stones had a mind of its own and intended to cover the entire floor of the Guild in its glittering gems.

Everyone's mouth fell open as the pile grew before their eyes. Achilles, for his part, simply held open the bag until the flow of magic stones began to slow and finally stop. He then shook it one last time, causing one last magic stone to fall out.

"There. That should do it," Achilles said.

Taking a look around and seeing the gobsmacked looks, Achilles chuckled and held up the bag.

"Infinite Purse. A rare item that I paid a fortune for. Not really good for anything besides magic stones though, which is why more people don't have them, but it's served me well."

Bell was the first to recover as his shock turned to joy and he beamed at his mentor who gave him a wink.

"Now," Achilles said, clapping his hands while turning to Royman who looked ready to faint. "I believe you have some magic stones to count and some money to give me."

Eina, who was far happier than her superior, smiled and bowed.

"Right away," she said before signalling for the workers to begin counting.

"Moving on," Achilles said turning to the crowd. "Who was talking shit?"

Tione and Tiona were more than happy to make sure everyone knew exactly who as they began to point and gesture towards their fellow familia member who looked anything but pleased by the turn of events.

Meanwhile every member of Hestia familia was smiling brightly, none more so than Ryuu who once again had to get control of herself as tears came to her eyes. Her new familia were quick to comfort her and relieved laughs soon passed amongst them.

While this was going on, Bell happened to see Aiz out of the corner of his eye. Turning to her the two shared a look between them before they both smiled. A fact that was not missed by Riveria who soon grew her own smile.

"What are we at?" Achilles suddenly called out, turning back to the Guild members.

"We're at over ten million valis!" Eina called happily.

"Good. Keep me posted if you'd please," Achilles requested, receiving a nod from the half-elf.

Some time later she called out again.

"Twenty million!"

Excitement began to build in the Guild.

"Thirty!"

Feet began to tap impatiently.

"Forty!"

Nervousness began to grow amongst those who had bet against Achilles.

"Fifty million valis!"

Hestia familia was practically bouncing.

"Seventy million!" Eina called.

Finally, the last of the magic stones were collected, counted, and tallied, and that number was passed to Eina.

Smiling brightly she called out.

"And the total is: 93,460,800 valis!"

Achilles smiled right before a cheer went up from Hestia familia.

Soon, the whole room was filled with noise as excitement, congratulations, elation, and sounds of misery at lost bets filled the air. Achilles soon found himself being hugged by Bell, then by the rest of Hestia familia, including Ryuu who, after some coaxing from Achilles himself, threw herself into his arms, crying tears of relief and joy as her burden was finally lifted from her shoulders.

Once things began to die down, and Ryuu had calmed herself enough, Achilles walked up to the counter and smiled down at Royman.

"So. Eighty million will be going to the Guild to pay off Ryuu-san's bounty," he said gesturing to the blonde elf. "And I'll be taking the rest home. Immediately."

Royman glared at him, but there was little he could do.

"Get him his money," he growled.

"Good piggy."

Royman growled, but was promptly ignored as Achilles turned back to Hestia familia.

"So, roughly thirteen million valis to add to your coffers and pay off some debt. And, more importantly, Ryuu-san is now a free woman, completely and unquestionably."

Hestia familia, all crowded around Ryuu, began to hug her again and she laughed at the affection.

"Now, that all said. I have barely slept or eaten in the past three days," Achilles punctuated this by holding up three fingers. "And I think I deserve both. So first, we celebrate with a feast. One which we can now, unquestionably afford," Achilles said, pointing at the chests of valis which were being deposited before them. "And then I'm sleeping like the dead and no one," he turned to all the Guild. "No one is going to disturb me until I've had my fill of rest or I will call a godforsaken storm down upon their familia!"

Leaving his threat hanging in the air, Achilles turned to Eina, who had walked up to the group, smiling at them and bowing to Achilles.

"Would you like a cart to transport the valis to your home? There is quite a lot here," she said gesturing to the many chests now placed before them.

"Hm. What do you guys think? You want a cart?" he asked.

"That may be wise," Lili said. "Each one of those chests looks like they carry a million valis."

"That's correct. These were specifically designed for that exact measurement," Eina offered.

"So, thirteen chests and some change," Achilles said, quickly counting. "Looks like it's all here. Or, should I say, it better all be here," he turned his gaze to Royman.

"The Guild does not cheat anyone!" he said indignantly.

"Uh huh, they just let big familia like Apollo familia get off scott free after they start a war in the streets," Achilles countered.

"Apollo familia was banished!"

"After they lost the War Game and Hestia ordered him gone. The Guild had nothing to do with it."

Royman fumed, but Achilles was done with him.

"Shall we go home?" he asked his companions who were all very quick to consent to the idea.

The Hestia familia, plus one, left the Guild and were met by the sight of a crowd, some of whom began to applaud as they exited.

"My, it appears we have fans," Achilles said.

"Don't let it go to your head." They turned to find Mia smiling at them.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied going up to his fellow ex-captain.

"You did something good for one of my girls, Achilles. I won't forget that. As such, for tonight we," she gestured towards all the Hostess of Fertility workers who were standing behind her, smiling. "Will be cooking for all of you tonight. Free of charge."

"You're giving me a free meal?" Achilles asked in mock surprise.

"Only for tonight, so you better eat your fill because it isn't happening again," she declared.

Achilles laughed.

"Noted. Come on guys, we have even more reason to celebrate now."

Sounds of excitement and approval passed amongst them and they all began their trek back to the Hestia familia manor with quickened steps, booty in tow. Only one was not smiling. A certain gray-haired young lady who knew what was coming.

The party had been going in full swing for well over an hour with Hestia familia and all their friendly familia happily eating, drinking, dancing, and talking the night away. Achilles was already on his tenth full plate of food and people were beginning to give him looks.

"How can you eat so much?" Lili asked a bit nauseated.

"The same way I can go three days with little to no food or sleep. My first skill: Unrelenting Endurance. Allows me to keep going and going when I need to. I have to eat like an animal to make up for it though," he said while grabbing so more food to pile on his plate. "Funny thing is, I didn't develop the skill from fighting. I got it from studying days on end. You see, my original title was, 'The Historian', because I knew more about history, mythology, and legends than anyone else. Still do in fact," he said taking a bite of food.

"Well...just don't choke. And make sure to leave enough for everyone else," Lili stated.

Achilles swallowed.

"No promises."

Achilles made his way over to a couch in front of a fireplace and sat down, happily munching on this and that as the tension from his body was finally allowed to drain.

"Mind if I join you?"

He looked up and found Bell smiling at him with his own plate of food in hand.

Achilles smiled back.

"Not at all," he replied, patting the spot next to him.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you were able to collect more than eighty million valis in three days," Bell said.

"What? Did you doubt me?" Achilles said as if hurt.

"Not for a moment," Bell replied instantly.

"Ah! Come here you sweet talker!" Achilles said, wrapping his arm around Bell and pulling him closer, causing the boy to laugh.

"So," Achilles continued once he'd let the white rabbit go. "What did I miss?"

"Well, I continued training with Aisha."

"Good. Good."

"Ryuu also had the idea of training alongside the other familias we're friends with. We've been doing that for the last few days and things seem to be going well."

"That's an excellent idea. We'll have to continue that once I begin training you all. It'll be good for all of us."

Bell paused. Now came the hard part that he knew would not particularly please Achilles.

"I also talked with Aiz a couple of times."

Achilles stopped eating.

"Oh?"

Bell flinched at the tonal shift.

"She came here the night you left asking me how I grow so quickly."

Achilles eyes narrowed.

"Did you tell her?"

"No." Achilles skeptical eyes made him shift nervously. "Not really."

"Not really?" Achilles now put his plate down.

"I told her that it was because I was in love. That being in love drove me forward. I didn't say anything about my skill."

"But you wanted to."

Bell was silent for a moment but eventually nodded.

Achilles sighed.

"In the end it is your choice if you decide to tell anyone, but it appears you recognize the potential repercussions for that, so I won't give you grief for it. You said a couple times though. What else did you talk about?"

Bell began to shift again, but this time in embarrassed glee, which caught Achilles's attention.

"We ran into each other the next day. She apologized to me and…" he began to practically bounce.

"And…?"

"She said that the girl I was in love with would be lucky to have me, and that she would also consider herself lucky if she was with me."

Achilles quirked a brow.

"Huh."

Bell turned to him with a smile and Achilles was certainly happy for him, but he couldn't help but notice something was missing.

"You couldn't confess could you?"

Bell deflated.

"It didn't seem like the right time."

Achilles looked at the now defeated boy for a couple of seconds before rolling his eyes and ruffling Bell's hair.

"It probably wasn't. So don't be too upset about it. Besides, it sounds like you made a hell of a stride towards your precious Sword Princess."

Bell smiled at that, but only for a moment as he remembered what he'd said to that very Sword Princess.

"I also told her that I'd ask you to train her as a favor to me."

Achilles stared at Bell for a good long while after that, long enough for the poor boy to begin sweating.

"Did you now?"

He nodded.

"I know you don't approve, but I do care for her and I hoped, because you care for me, that you would do me this favor," the young man said.

"Oh, he knows how to play that game does he? Pouting little rabbit eyes and all," Achilles thought.

"Cheeky little devil," he said. "Alright," he conceded. "Can't say no when you're looking at me like that and asking for a favor. Don't think my heart could take it if I said no." Bell smiled. "But that means you owe me a favor in return. And I'm going to call it in right now."

"What is it?" Bell asked.

"You are going to sit here, while I continue making up for the calories I lost over the last three days, and you're going to tell me all about your childhood so I can know more about you, and also so I can know how much damage that old fart I called my god did."

That was something Bell could live with.

"Deal."

The party had ended some time before and the members of Hestia familia were all feeling the exhaustion from the hours of partying.

"That was a proper celebration," Welf said, his cheeks a tad red.

"I agree fully," Mikoto replied, her cheeks noticeably more red than his.

"But where did Bell-kun and Achilles-san go? They seemed to disappear early on," Hestia inquired.

"I remember Achilles-san making his way towards a couch with a large plate of food in his hand," Lili said.

So, they went towards where Lili last saw the former captain, only to find Haruhime standing near the couch. Hearing them, she turned, smiling, and put a finger over her lips.

Curious, they silently made their way over to the couch and looked at what Haruhime was so happily staring at. When they did, their hearts melted.

There was Achilles and Bell, the latter with his head on the former's shoulder, sleeping soundly as the elder of the two did the same while leaning on his head.

"I took the liberty of putting a blanket over them," Haruhime whispered.

Everyone nodded.

"Good work, Haruhime," Hestia whispered back.

Then, as if Fate decided it wanted to ruin the moment, the bell for the gate suddenly rang, causing them all to jump.

"What the-" Hestia quickly covered her mouth. Checking on the two, she found them both still asleep.

"I'll go see who it is, Hestia-sama," Haruhime offered, tiptoeing away.

"Who we be coming here at this late hour?" Hestia whispered.

"Maybe someone forgot something?" Mikoto suggested.

They decided to make their way to the entrance and wait for their guest to arrive. A few moments later Haruhime returned looking extremely nervous.

"Ottar of Freya familia," she introduced.

Everyone tensed and watched as the towering boaz walked into the room.

"Good evening," he said. "My lady has something she'd like me to deliver to Achilles and Bell."

That did not sit well with any of them.

"I'll take if for them," Hestia said, holding out her hand.

"My lady specifically asked that I deliver it to them in person," he replied, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Everyone shared a look and prepared for a fight they knew they couldn't win, a fact made evidently clear by Ottar being seemingly unaffected by them.

Haruhime, who had been shaking like a leaf since she first spotted the King, was utterly terrified of what was to come, and so jumped in to prevent it.

"They're this way," she said, gesturing towards the adjacent room.

Everyone turned to her, her familia with concern and confusion, Ottar, with usual stoic calmness. None of this did anything to ease the terror eating at her, but the die had been cast and she needed to act.

She began walking towards the couch, moving towards the front of it, before gesturing to the still sleeping duo.

"As you can see, the two are sleeping, so we would be happy to take whatever it is that you have for them," she offered.

Ottar looked down on the two and, unseen by everyone but Haruhime, smirked.

"My lady would have enjoyed seeing this."

Suddenly, he felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him, and he knew that they sight before him was surely making his lady very happy at that moment.

"I see," he said finally. "Then I will leave these here," he said, taking out two invitations and placing them on the table in front of the sleeping captains. "And these are for all of you," he continued, holding out several more invitations.

"What are they?" Hestia asked, taking them.

"Invitations for a party my lady is throwing. She has invited every familia in Orario and would be overjoyed if you all could attend."

Before any of them could respond, he bowed, bid them goodnight, and left, leaving the Hestia familia with a set of invitations in their hands and fear in their hearts.