Ill-Fitted Bonding

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.

-Author note start-

Hey people! This chapter will be a significant amount shorter than the previous ones! I will be trying to pace things a little faster, however do keep in mind this will be a slow and long story all around! we playing for the long game!

Hope you enjoy the chapter, I was a bit lacking in motivation to write lately so the chapter arrived a little late. Still, expect a chapter every 3-4 days or so. That is my "Healthy" update goal. Enjoy! Constructive critcism and support would be nice!

'Indicates Thoughts'

"Indicates Speech"

""Indicates Multiple Peoples Speech""

(Indicates Author comment thing)

-Author note end-

Inside The Totally Not A Brothel Room

Bell POV

It's been a few minutes of complete silence, not the awkward type of silence but the peaceful kind. As I lay on my back and rest with a knocked out Haruhime-san a few feet away from me. It's then I decide to make use of this spare time to ask Merlin-sensei a question

"Say Merlin-sensei why'd you decide to mentor heroes?" I ask with a tilt of my head while directing an expectant gaze at the floating Merlin-sensei... who looks as if he is sleeping on air?

"Hmm... What brought this up?" Merlin-sensei lazily responds as he opens one of his scaly eyes, revealing his pretty (Self proclaimed) amethyst eye staring at me in curiosity.

"Well I thought we should get to know each other better Sensei! And it's a good way to pass the time while we wait!" I answered with conviction flashing a friendly smile.

"And of all the times to get to know me better... You decide to do it while there is a practically naked, fox-girl prostitute knocked out at the bed of your feet?" Merlin-sensei says in a deadpan pointing at the knocked out Haruhime-san with his hand paw thing.

"U-Umm..." I sweatdrop upon realizing the absurdity of the situation and the lack of tact in regards to my question

"Not to mention the fact you are currently getting manhunted as we speak by an entire guild of mostly busty amazonesses AND that we are trapped in a red light district..." Merlin-sensei continues his point with a stronger deadpan that is not quite visible on his draconic face furthering my embarrassment and causing my face to turn slightly red.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH" Merlin-sensei suddenly burst into his strongest laughter yet, holding his head with his hand paw thing. An uncontrollable laughter that I fear would... Cause us to be found...

"W-Wha? Merlin-sensei Shh! Shh! They'll hear us!" I tell Merlin-sensei with a mix of exasperation and confusion at his change of mood to quiet down.

"Hahah...Ha... That was hilarious kid! Honestly you gained a lot of brownie points with that one! And what are you? A gold fish? Did you already forget that no one but you and your gang of same tattoo buddies can hear me?" Merlin-sensei said with his iconic shit eating grin, calming down my worries and berating me for my stupidity.

'Oh... He must of been pranking me... I though I truly asked something tactless... (You did little bro)' I think to myself in realization and exhaustion figuring out who I am truly dealing with.

'Of course he was who am I kidding?!' I think to myself exchanging exhaustion for anger

"Anyways! Why did I decide to become a "Mentor Of Heroes"? I was bored! For the most part! The other reasons? I'll let you figure those out yourself!" Merlin-sensei finally answered my question nonchalantly, providing nothing useful with his answer.

"You were... bored?" I repeat with a raised eyebrow as I calm my anger slightly in favor of trying to understand my Sensei.

"Correct! Bored! Now, that admittedly is probably not the elegant and profound answer you might of expected. Although it is pretty much the same reason your very own gods descended down here. Anyways! Put yourself in my shoes young Bell! Imagine you! A being of Nigh-Omnipotent power that has lived for hundreds of thousands of years. What do you do with your life at such a point? Fight others? Been there done that! At that point you just fart on them and they instantly die, not that it loses it's amusement, people dying because of farts never gets old! Anyways! Get a diverse and super massive harem of bombastic ladies? It's fun for the first few hundred years then that gets very stale and a pain to manage, believe me! No Bell! Hedonism is not a good long term strategy my student! Follow your masculine values! Give to the community! Teach! Guide! Help! Save! Challenge yourself! Try new things! Serve others! And Explore! Remember this Bell! For before I am a universe destroying dragon I am first... A MAN! SASAGEYO!" Merlin-sensei lectured seriously in a oddly motivating tone placing a hand paw thing onto where his heart is probably located at.

Making me want to march forward towards a giant monkey throwing rocks while riidng a horse... What?

"HAI! MERLIN SENSEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I gave a strong salute whilst shouting out my understanding in a mix of whisper-shout as to not be found out.

'I don't understand half of what he lectured... but he explained the other half so well I cant help but shed a tear.' I thought to myself in amazement as a tear shed out of my eyes. Which Merlin-sensei noticed giving an approving nod of his draconic head.

'At least I get a glimpse into Sensei's head... I still don't get him though... Might be the life span difference? Much like Kami-sama he seems to have lived a ridiculous amount of time.' I thought to myself theorizing the reasons as to why Sensei is so hard to figure out.

'I'll probably learn more about Merlin-sensei as we spend more time together I'm sure of it!' I reassure myself and cut off that line of thinking with a shake of my head, at which Merlin-sensei raises his scaly eyebrow in confusion at my inner conversation.

"Sensei! Could you tell me a story of a hero you once trained maybe? Pretty please?" I ask pointing my legendary puppy-rabbit eyes at Merlin-sensei, deciding to change the topic and find out about other heroes! What? I love hero stories, sue me! And Sensei has genuine examples!

'I wonder what heroes he has trained?!' I think to myself in excitement

"Oh~ A wonderful question Bell! Allow me to tell you the story about the boy who had a red dragon stuck in his hand..." Merlin-sensei said teasingly as he reformed his shit eating grin with vigor, sending me chills down my spine. As he was about to begin the retelling of the story

'O-Oh No...' I was starting to get a very bad feeling in regards to this specific hero's story.

-Short Time Skip-

Bell POV

"Oh and when he pressed BOTH Rias's nipples together with his fingers... He got his balance breaker armor... HAHAHAHAH!" Merlin-sensei continued his retelling of Issei-sans story in amusement and laughter as he made a motion with both his hand paw things as if he was ringing two doorbells simultaneously pointing a claw each forward.

Let me be very clear... There was not a single moment in which my face or mental state was not in a state of trauma during the retelling of Issei's story.

'W-Why specifically this hero of all the ones he ever trained?!?!!' I think in shock and exasperation as my innocence is being infected by a very strange obsession with large breasts... He continues to my horror

"My initial reaction to that one moment neve... Oh look foxy girl's waking up." Merlin-sensei follows up in amusement as he cuts himself off and points towards Haruhime-san who is beginning to wake up.

"H-Haruhime-san? Are you alright?" I ask in worry as I stare at the Renard while she stands up groggily with her eyes slightly closed.

"Hmm? UH? Customer!?!" Upon realizing what happened and what her current situation is, Haruhime-san immediately prostrated herself

"H-Haruhime-san I'm not a customer!" I said my first concrete and understandable sentence to Haruhime-san, as her eyes flash in understanding and she lowers her head further into the ground.

"I-I'm so sorry! I thought you were a customer and I completely embarrassed myself" Haruhime-san apologized sincerely making me panic.

"O-Oh no! It was my fault for barging inside in the first place! Sorry!" I respond to her apology with my own, lifting my hands in a placating gesture.

"My name is Haruhime it's nice to meet you." Haruhime-san introduces herself again? rather gracefully as she lifts herself from her prostrated position to look me in the eyes with her attractive emerald ones.

"I'm Bell Cranel" I flash her a reassuring and paradoxically nervous smile as I introduce myself

"Bell-sama is it? If you're not a customer what are you doing in this brothel then?" Haruhime-san asks with a cute tilt of her head and ears.

"He came for some freebie coochie. You ain't a customer if you ain't paying you know?" Merlin-sensei responded with certainty as if he was stating a fact, nodding his head stupidly. I decide to make the smart move and ignore the generally invisible dragon in favor of not ignoring the visible Renard.

'What is a coochie though? Probably something vulgar knowing Sensei...' I think to myself for a second as I fail to ignore the dumb dragon.

"Umm, Bell-sama?" Haruhime-san asks in worry staring at me spacing out for "apparently" no reason.

"O-Oh sorry, I was thinking about something else for a second sorry! Hehe" I return my attention to Haruhime-san as I apologize for my lack of focus while scratching the back of my head sheepishly.

'I wonder when I should begin the Chad curriculum? Will he even need it? I usually introduce it on absolutely hopeless heroes who despite their heroism, are not chads... In my humble and completely based draconic opinion this is one such case unfortunately... Let's hope Bell becomes a chad due to my very own magnificent presence! (Self Proclaimed)' Merlin-sensei thought to himself listlessly wondering when he should fix my attitude.

"Let's sit down it's a rather long story hehe... The reason for me being here is..." I start explaining in full the reasons behind me being here, with distractions thrown here and there with Merlin-sensei's very unwelcome comments.

-Short Time Skip-

Bell POV

I finish explaining the entire absurd scenario whilst Haruhime-san listens in sympathy

"Ah, I see Aisha-san and the others are chasing after you?" Haruhime-san asks me to reconfirm my situation as she radiates sympathy and understanding as if this wasn't the first time such a situation has occurred. At which I nod my head.

"Do you know them?" I ask her without fear, as she does not seem the type to snitch.

"She as always been good to me" Haruhime-san replies with a warm smile. As she gets up from her sitting position and moves towards the window to glance at... People running around and looking for someone, Hopefully not me.

"I see." I reply neutrally with nothing to add to the conversation

"What do you mean "I see", dumb fuck?" Merlin-sensei repeats mockingly as he seems to be disappointed at my poor conversational skills with a girl. At which I look towards his magnificent (Self Proclaimed) floating self in indignation and twitching eyebrows.

"I'll guide you at dawn through a shortcut I know. It's not easy for first timers to find a way out of this place." Haruhime-san says as she turns her gaze to me in sympathy and pure kindness.

'M-My Hero...' I think to myself in happiness

"A-Are you sure Haruhime-san?" I ask with a pleading look in my eyes, in case it is too much trouble for me to ask for her help.

'Although I wouldn't mind getting out of here as fast as possible... But if it's too much trouble for Haruhime-san I'll do it myself.' I though in exhaustion

"I'd kill for some watermelon..." Merlin-sensei spewed out his random thoughts and impulses, which I, of course, ignored.

"It's ok, I want to help Bell-sama. I doubt we'll see each other ever again anyways so I still want to be of service" Haruhime-san replied flashing the most reassuring and warm smile she has as of now.

"In exchange... Talk to me until we have to move." Haruhime-san continued offering an exchange for the help

"Talk to you?" I reply back in confusion at the weird exchange

"She is lonely... Don't you get it?" Merlin-sensei floats near my ear as he whispers in disappointment and translates the intentions.

'O-Oh!' I think and throw Merlin-sensei a thankful glance, to which he gives me the draconic equivalent of an eyeroll. And Haruhime-san is confused at my actions.

"Y-Yes, Bell-sama, talk..." She repeats bashfully turning her eyes away from me.

"A-Ah sorry! What do you want to talk about?" I ask her as I flash a smile and talk in a reassuring tone.

"Oh! How about how you arrived here at Orario?" Haruhime-san asked reinvigorated as she gave me a curious stare.

'Oh this I gotta hear' Merlin-sensei though to himself in amusement, assuming I had a ridiculous reason for coming to Orario. Which isn't completely wrong...

"I came here with a dream... And no money... And so I became an adventurer!" I give a nostalgic smile as I reminisce on the not so distant past as I recall my reasons and situation coming here before Kami-sama saved me and gave me everything.

'Now that was not scandal worthy information now was it? He must be hiding it to not ruin his first impressions... Brilliant move young Mido... I mean young Bell!' Merlin-sensei thought to himself impressed at my performance and disappointed at the same time

"Ah I see! I came here for my own reasons from the Far East." Haruhime-san said with a neutral smile

"The Far East?" I ask in curiosity as I remember Mikoto-san and her previous familia originating from there.

"Yes! An amazing place with 4 seasons year round and beautiful architecture and food... But I was disowned by my family when I was 11 years old." Haruhime-san flashes a nostalgic smile which turns towards the end of her sentence into a sad and accepting one.

"I was then sold into Ishtar Familia here in the pleasure quarter." As her smile turns in to an even more sad smile which causes me to frown

'Ah, the cliché's are checking out... she might be a candidate!' Merlin-sensei thought tactlessly as he analyzed the tragic background of Haruhime-san

'What do you mean "tactless", Author? Meh! I've seen and heard worse backstories! Bite me!' Merlin-san replied offhandedly to the Author?

"A-Ah but I always wanted to come to Orario from the stories!" Haruhime-san tries to reassure me and convince me she is ok, that fails but I manage to gleam excitement from the stories part.

"Oh stories? You mean like the Dungeon Oratoria?" I ask in excitement at the possibility of another Hero fan.

"Oh yes I absolutely love hero stories like that one!" Haruhime-san responds to my excitement with her own as her tail begins wagging.

'Oh my! I believe we have found number 5! Although I have yet to meet number 3 and 4...' Merlin-sensei begins to form his own baseless conclusions to our ensuing conversation as he reconfirms his previous analysis.

We then proceed to exchange hero stories for the better part of an hour or two...

As dawn approaches...

To be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

Hey people!

Sorry for the short chapter! I've been a bit busy and this allows me to focus a little more on the next one without the schedule in mind!

Hope the chapter was to your enjoyment, again constructive criticism, reviews, ideas and comments would boost motivation to release more chapters and to show me your support! It's free! Thank you for reading truly and I'll see you in a few days guys! Good day people!

-Author Note End-