8 END OF PROLOGUE - Is it wrong to be a troublemaker?

"My name is Bella Cranel."

The second those words were uttered, Kai's world for a second seemed to turn outside down.

Said what?

He almost blurted out.

Kai looked at Bella from top to bottom, scrutinizing her.

Now that he got a better picture of her she really does resemble someone.

Cute facial features, pale white skin that it was almost transparent, white hair and bloody crimson eyes just like his.

Bell Cranel, the original protagonist of the world.

Likewise Kai also notice that he did resemble Bella quite a bit making him doubt his own eyes.

He and Bella do look quite alike that people who didn't know them might mistake them for twins, though his more cute and beautiful while Bella is more feminine and charming.

Ugh

Just what's going on?

[Notice. Cannot be answered.]

I wasn't asking for your opinion.

[…] (*Pouts*)

"Is something the matter, master?"

Artoria asked in concern, seeing him acting strangely.

"I'm fine."

Kai shrugged the back of his head, assuring Artoria.

"If you say so."

She nodded and stopped bothering him though she's still a bit concerned as she occasionally glances at his direction.

After their meal and introductions were over Kai deemed that Bella Cranel is most likely this reality's version of Bell Cranel.

Kai had long accepted that things wouldn't play out like when the world of Danmachi is but a fictional story.

This revelation thought changes his way of interacting with Bella.

As the chosen protagonist of this world her fate is most likely intertwined to his which is a bit troublesome.

…

Night came Bella and Lili had long left the pub heading somewhere.

Kai who didn't want to be so invasive in their life just let them be as they forge their own path already expecting their future interactions due to their intertwined chaotic destiny.

Kai couldn't see destiny and fate itself, but he certainly could feel its invisible presence.

Moreover, babysitting others isn't really his cup of tea.

He also learned that unlike Bell Cranel who was inexperienced in terms of combat skills before becoming an adventurer Bella Cranel was trained from a young age by her aunt, uncle, and grandfather.

She is a bit talkative.

But she never mentioned their names.

Furthermore, she isn't as naïve unlike her counterpart and in fact she's intelligent.

Though her kindhearted, straightforward, brave, yet shy, thoughtful and caring nature is still the same as her counterpart.

The difference between the two of them is that Bella Cranel soul instead of transparent is a mixture of both transparent and gray.

It appears that the gray colored one was due to some sort of trauma she's trying to either forget or maybe overcome.

Artoria on the other hand stayed indoors mastering her Unique Skill: King Of Knights and Extra Skill: Foodie.

The concept of such abilities is still foreign to her, and it's not like she has Great Investigator or Great Sage to help her master her skills at a faster rate.

Great Investigator and Great Sage are just broken skills that don't follow the norm of normal skills.

She needs to do things manually from the scratch as if she's trying to polish her swordsmanship just like before she became a king.

Be that as it may, all data regarding her skills has already been implanted in her mind becoming a part of her being.

The moment the Skills had crystallized in her soul it would only be a matter of time and effort before she could fully master its powers.

But having the knowledge of how to use the skill and having the practical experience to efficiently utilize it are two wholly different things.

The difference is like heaven and earth.

This is the reason why Artoria is endeavoring hard giving her all mastering her new-found abilities hoping to grow stronger to be more useful to him.

In fact, Kai had been telling her to slow down and relax as there's no need to rush.

However, Artoria is a steadfast knight who never backs down against any challenge.

For her, mastering her newfound abilities is just a mere obstacle in the road ahead.

In due time, she'll be able to conquer this obstacle and continue to move forward chasing the back of her master until she's able to walk by his side as his knight.

Though she has more combat experience and battle experience than Kai before he was whisked away to the world of Danmachi but in just the short time that they were together Kai was able to easily surpass her in every known aspect possible except ruling probably.

Though she's happy about his astonishing progress it still left a bitter taste.

Imagine it from this perspective.

You have worked hard trying to master your craft for many years then there's this genius who appeared out of nowhere and was able to reach your level and even surpass it in a very short time.

It was if someone slapped you to the face and mocked you for how pathetic you and your efforts were.

How would you feel about that?

Normal people would feel resentment, jealousy, and other negative emotions but Artoria is different, and she's definitely not a normal person.

She's a unique irregular case of her own person.

Artoria is a strong-willed, courageous, determined, and resolute young woman and the word jealousy isn't present in her dictionary.

This is the reason why she's working hard giving her all to catch up with him wishing to be able to walk the same path he takes and to not be left behind.

Though Kai reasoned to her that it was due to his own Unique Skill but Artoria knew better that it wasn't all because of such power.

Kai despite being a genius of his own right, while also having a unique skill which functions perfectly and syncs with his talent, is also a hard working person giving his all despite his slothful and playful personality which should have contradicted with his actions.

This unpredictable chaotic nature of his and added to his earnest personality is what had captured the somewhat cold dragon heart of the King Of Knights.

…

"Adventurers sure are a tough bunch. They've survived despite the beating I've given them."

Kai muttered in amusement as he observed the three personages who had beaten up Bella and Lili earlier this morning from atop a building hundreds of meters afar.

Its midnight the moon is high up in the sky illuminating the dark land with its moonlight.

Intense light gathered in his palm.

He was planning to kill the three from his position.

Pure holy light energy.

Disintegration Technique – Astral Bullet.

But just as Kai was about to unleash his attack the three scums stop in their tracks and from the shades in a certain corner a conspicuous man wearing a white hood emerges greeting the three.

Kai cancelled his attack curious about the identity of the new guy.

He also grew curious about the three scums.

Though they're feeble for his standards they don't seem so simple.

Now that he thinks about it.

How can a bunch of level 2 street scums afford to heal themselves back to their peak state like nothing had happened?

They must have used some expensive potions or paid a skilled healer.

The cost to heal such injuries shouldn't have been small.

So for them to afford such costs it's certainly suspicious.

And it's not like a random high level kindhearted healer passing bye took pity on them and gave them a helping hand.

Though there are many other possibilities, such as getting support from their Familia, them being rich, etc.

Chances of such possibilities being accurate is less than 50% based on his own and Great Investigator's calculation.

Reaching this conclusion the identity of the 3 scums were really suspicious.

Moreover, the fact that they're meeting another suspicious looking person on a conspicuous alley in Daedalus Street and in the middle of the night of all times just made him more curious and sure that things regarding the three aren't so simple.

A wide grin can be seen on Kai's face.

A grin even Artoria feared.

The last time such a grin appeared an entire army was almost wiped out.

The only reason it wasn't completely wiped out was because Kai only specifically killed those he had deemed evil based on their souls that doesn't lie which were bare naked before his eyes.

He is a hypocrite person in his own right.

While Kai hasn't shown any signs of being a troublemaker he is one himself.

He is always attracted towards things he finds interesting frequently getting caught up in troublesome situations.

Though at first it was only Artoria who always drags him into trouble due to her values and beliefs but as they spend more time together and overcome such troubles with relative ease Kai begins to enjoy getting in trouble himself.

So instead of outright just killing the three scums Kai decided to tail them for the moment curious where this espionage late night activity of his will lead him.

And just in case Kai placed the same tracking magic he had used on the 3 scums to the white hood man in order to make sure he wouldn't escape his gasp, nailing the fate of the poor new guy.

His simple action of leading a hand to whom he had thought to be some random girls being bullied by scums led to events and consequences that will throw not just the dungeon city of Orario but the whole world into chaos.