Chapter 16

A lot of stuff has been thrown at me all of sudden while I'm already buys with a lot of shit to say I'm feeling sour would be an understatement, this feeling is not about because I'm forced to take care of people but what those bastards did, but my feeling can screw off for now I have priorities here after I'm done I can waste time to go to a deserted place and start screaming my heart out.

Anyway, the plans I had previously after saving Alfia and Zald will change and to think I will join a familia too, sigh I have to tell Grandpa and Grandma about it, I feel like I somehow betrayed them but it's not all that bad I guess as I can use it as an excuse to not met those two(Alfia and Zald), for now, sigh I need to get stronger so I can at least control their action to a degree and prevent from going suicidal on me I'm already having difficulty finding ways to revive the others I don't need more problems, especially from them, and if they did I promise you that I will WIPE the floor with them even at the cost of my life span.

I will just go and visit Grandpa and Grandma and talk to them for a bit I already have shadow clones watching over the situation in Orario if anything happens they can easily send me a warning.

I teleported near the village and started making my way there as I got close I can see Grandpa Jerry sitting in his usual spot.

"Hello Grandpa Jerry, how are doing?"

"Eh? Bell you're back, I'm doing quite fine if I do say so, Jupiter told us you went outside to look for your relatives with his friend, you caused us to worry about you, but did you come here alone? Where is your Grandpa's friend?"

Grandpa friend huh, nice cover Grandpa the villagers here don't know about my powers so it's normal for them to be concerned.

"He is waiting outside he is quite shy you see but he is a nice person as he took me to Orario even though he doesn't like being around people"

"Oh well, I guess we can't force him to stay with us and make him uncomfortable."

"Sorry about that, I only came here to talk a bit with Grandpa and Grandma to not make them worry too much I'm going back to Orario after that the faster the better."

"Sigh, it wouldn't hurt you to stay a bit longer but for you to go back means that you haven't found them yet right?"

"Yes sadly but I haven't given up yet."

"Hahaha, it's good to be young I do wish you luck little Bell but don't push yourself too much okay"

As he said that he started patting me on the head, haaa I missed these haven't gotten one in almost a year yet I still like them.

"Don't worry Grandpa Jerry, can you greet Aunty Floria and Uncle Mark for me and tell them that I'm alright I doubt I can meet them today please"

"Will do."

"Thank You, Grandpa Jerry."

After that, I started making my way to our house I can already sense two people inside I guess Grandpa is on a break today I knocked on the door and waited until someone opened up and it was Grandpa.

"Bell! You're back."

He didn't even wait for me to greet him as he picked me up and hugged me.

"Honey who is- BELL!!"

As soon as Grandma saw me she went and hugged me too.

"Yes I'm back Grandpa, Grandma I'm glad to see you two doing well"

As I thought having a family really does give you something to look forward to a hug, a kiss, or even talking, it doesn't really matter as long as they are there with you.

As we went inside they started asking how I was doing in Orario and if I found Alfia and Zald which I said I would explain when they sit down.

"Okay, the first thing I'm doing fine as for Aunty Alfia and Uncle Zald I didn't find them but I found a trace of them that's why I need to go back to Orario I mostly came here to not make worry too much."

"Mostly? Is there another reason?" Grandma asked me

"…Yes, it's something I said before and I changed my mind about it"

"Bell, it's fine to change your decisions if it doesn't work out for you, we are not going to blame you for it," Grandpa said while Grandma nodded her head agreeing with him.

"Okay… you see I decided to create a familia."

They both stayed silent indicating I should continue or state my reasons.

"Well I wanted to create one and aim for the top, of course, it's not for fame or wealth but rather I want a position where I have a say in the decisions related to Orario, so when the time comes I can remove your banishment from Orario."

"…Is that all?" Grandma asked they both have emotionless faces that I can't read at all I don't know what are they thinking if they are mad or angry or maybe even disappointed it's really making me nervous.

"….No, it's not all" They are again not saying anything and keeping silent and waiting for me to speak again.

"I have a feeling that I will be making friends and a lot of friends at that so instead of me going alone and having them join other Familias and possibly become enemies, I want to stay with them and even become a family as you know I never had a brother or sister and I always wanted to know how it feels to have them in one's life."

"Then create your Familia," Grandma said simply like it was nothing major.

"Is it really fine, I promised you two that I won't be joining anyone and now it's like I'm going back at my word"

"Well, it's you who made the promise without considering what a Familia is," Grandma said again which shocked me, she was right I was only thinking of a Familia as something that grants me a Falna to get stronger and me being able to get stronger without it I didn't even bother understanding what it actually means.

"Bell, a true Familia is not just a tool to make you stronger, it's a place where you gain friends and comrades and maybe even a lover, these are people who you are going to trust your back to, go through life and death situations with them and heck at the end of the day share a feast and drinks with them, and even laugh and joke with them, what we want is you living your life without any regret so if you truly desire to make friends and share your happiness with them then go and create a Familia as for you promise with us treat it as a lesson for you so you never judge anything hastily again alright."

Grandma pulled me into a hug while Grandpa spoke with me and patted my head, in front of them I really I'm nothing more than just a child I was really blinded by my goals that I forget the little things in life, without the gods' request to take care of their people I would have never thought of such a path, and those people…

"Grandpa, Grandma if there was a day and I started losing my way and started desiring strength above anything else…what should I do… "

In all honestly, although I resolved not to stray from my beliefs, hearing what those people did make me question myself, especially my dragon slayer magic power, Acnologia himself was not a stable character, and the main reason for his insanity is his huge gain of strength when I wished for this power I was aware of the problem that came with it but I thought it can easily be fixed because I can get other powers and maybe they will stabilize it but now I don't have that confident I had before.

"Then you just have to remember your reason for wanting this strength,"

"Huh?"

Grandma said while poking my cheeks making me lose the serious expression I had.

"Why the surprise, it's quite obvious don't you think," Grandma said while smiling at me,

"…Explain please"

"Everything we do in life has a reason behind it, we eat when we are hungry, we sleep when we are tired even we gods came down to the lower world for our own reasons, as of wanting to get stronger everyone has their own reasons to it, some just want it so they won't get bound to rules, some like adventurers want it so they can get fame and wealth, and some want it for a dark purpose like revenge or just mess and destroy people life and others like heroes want it to save and protect everyone around them."

Grandpa started explaining in Grandma's place and I kept my silence and waited for him to finish while trying to comprehend what he is saying.

"If we are talking about getting stronger then just fighting everything around is the best way to get stronger as the more you battle the more you experience and learn from your mistakes, but what different would it make you from a monster from the dungeon?"

"…."

"Bell, as much it saddens me, I can't give you a straight answer to your question but what I can tell you is there is nothing wrong in wanting to get stronger or wanting to stay weak, but what is wrong is not having standards to walk your path with."

"Standards?"

"Yes, Bell standards are something that you define yourself, it's your own set of rules that set for yourself it doesn't matter what it is really, it can be related to pride maybe you won't accept defeat or just give in when the opponent is stronger than you, it can be your morals you can't accept killing a person to save many or you will just turn a blind eye to it, it can even be related to food that you eat, in extreme hunger would you chose to eat your fellow comrade or just die with them."

"…." My eyes are wide open hearing what Grandpa said these are things that never crossed my mind, I don't even know how to answer most of these mind you chose them as my standards, there are even some questions that are in the back of my mind, I don't know what to do with them.

"It doesn't matter if you have an answer to them or not now little Bell, you are still young and haven't seen much in life yet, you can take your time to come up with answers because when you do, it's the moment where you shaped your character and it's the point of no return so take your time and make sure you never regret what you choose."

He is right until now all my actions were narrowly minded I only cared about my goals of defeating the black dragon and getting my family back although I denied it I was still looking at the world as if it were only a fictional thing, I accepted Both Zeus and Hera as my Grandparent but not the same for the world I simply didn't bother interacting with it at all.

"Hahaha, why the long face it doesn't suit you at all, don't think about too much Bell the answers you are looking for will come to you eventually there is no point in wasting time and thinking about it" he started laughing while ruffling my hair sigh, I can't win again them at all.

"You are right… well I guess I should get going I still have things to do"

"But you just came back why not stay for a bit longer," Grandma asked me with a sad expression.

"As much I want to, I don't want to regret Grandma," I said with a smile surprisingly they were both smiling at me too.

"I get it just make sure you take care of yourself alright"

"Will do, you two take care of each other too"

I started making my way out of the house to the outside of the village to meet Grandpa Jerry again I bid him farewell a went on the road, although I don't have a clear answer yet at least I know where my problem is now, and thinking about they are not wrong, I don't have much attachment to the standards I had in my previous life I only noticed when they spoke of it I suppose it's the result of both my old soul and Bell soul mixing together.

Thinking about what I doing, aren't I just considered a psychopath or a sociopath what I'm doing in simpler words fighting fate and death, not something a mortal should mess with, and yet I'm not feeling any nervousness or what I'm doing is wrong.

Well, it doesn't really matter at this point as I am dead set on getting everyone back from the dead, hehe this should be one of my standards I guess defying the things that should not be defied hahaha. (Oh boy here he goes again now you know the reason for this fanfic title)