[84] Tragic Ends Curse
Bell wept at his desk as if releasing all the frustration and disappointment of the past six days in one outburst.
Hestia and Aiden exchanged a smile, then turned their attention back to Bell.
For Aiden, he was certainly in favor of Bell joining. After all, he knew he would eventually leave, uncertain of when he could return. Even with the inheritance he could leave behind due to the Golden Rule, it wouldn't prevent Hestia Familia from dissolving once he departed.
However, with Bell joining, everything would change. With Bell's talent, luck, diligence, perseverance, and charisma, Hestia Familia would undoubtedly thrive in the days to come.
Several minutes passed before Bell gradually calmed down. He lifted his head, realizing that Aiden and Hestia had been watching him all along. Suddenly conscious of his emotional outburst, he wiped his eyes.
Quickly standing up, Bell bowed deeply to Aiden and Hestia. "I apologize."
"There's no need to apologize, just letting it out is enough." Hestia spoke softly.
"Yes." Bell straightened up.
"Bell, how old are you this year?" Aiden asked, his memory slightly fuzzy. He had always found it strange why other Familias would reject Bell without even testing him.
"I'm fourteen years old." Bell scratching his head.
"Bell-kun, you're a year younger than Aiden-kun." Hestia said with a faint smile.
"Aiden-san is only one year older than me?" Bell exclaimed in surprise.
Despite the one-year difference, Aiden, standing at 180 centimeters tall after a month of battle and training, made Bell's 165 centimeters seem small in comparison. Moreover, Aiden had developed muscular strength from his training and battles, and his demeanor was noticeably more mature than Bell's, making him look less like a fifteen-year-old at first glance.
"Yeah, I'm only fifteen. After training all afternoon and sweating, I'll go take a shower. Hestia, why don't you bestow your Falna on Bell?" Aiden lightly patted Bell's shoulder and then turned to Hestia.
"Sure thing. Bell-kun, go ahead." Hestia said with a smile.
"A Falna? Already?" Bell's eyes widened with excitement at the mention of a blessing.
"Yeah, Aiden-kun received his right after joining as well." Hestia squatted down and retrieved a thin needle from a drawer in the table.
When Aiden emerged from his shower in fresh clothes, Hestia had already bestowed her blessing upon Bell.
"From today onward, Bell-kun is a member of Hestia Familia. Aiden-kun, don't bully him now." Hestia teased immediately as she glanced at Aiden.
"I wouldn't..." Aiden began to retort but quickly remembered his recent actions, trailing off.
"Heh, can't say anything now, can you? Starting today, you're the captain of Hestia Familia. No bullying Bell-kun from now on." Hestia walked over to Aiden, lightly patting his back, then clearing her throat before speaking with feigned seriousness. She turned and headed into the kitchen.
Captain, the name itself suggests responsibility for managing the entire Familia.
Yet, Hestia Familia currently consisted of just two people, not even qualifying as a full team.
"Captain?" Upon hearing this word, especially spoken in Japanese, what Aiden first thought of wasn't the duties of a captain, nor the Captain of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, but rather the deep, magnetic voice of Orga Itsuka forcefully saying... don't stop1.
The scene before his eyes seemed to return to that quiet street under the setting sun.
It was as if he could hear the song Freesia once again.
This is not a good omen.
Then Aiden saw Bell bow deeply to him, saying excitedly, "Please guide me, Captain."
"Bell, just call me by my name or Aniki, but not captain." Aiden replied somewhat exasperatedly. "After all, our Hestia Familia only has two members now. If I'm the captain, then you're the vice-captain, right?"
"Understood, Aniki." Bell replied readily, adapting quickly.
Hearing Bell call him Aniki. Aiden suddenly remembered how ominous that term could be, whether it was Prosciutto from Golden Wind. Bulat from Akame ga Kill, or Kamina from Gurren Lagann, all met tragic ends. Quickly changing tack, Aiden said, "Actually, just call me senpai."
Though Bell didn't understand why Aiden kept changing his mind, he sensed Aiden's discomfort with being called captain or aniki again. Rather than pressing further, Bell simply nodded and said, "Got it, senpai."
"Then let's get along well from now on." Aiden smiled gently, extending his right hand towards Bell.
"Yes!" Bell responded eagerly, reaching out with both hands and firmly grasping Aiden's hand. It was the first time since arriving in Orario that someone had willingly shaken hands with him.
"No need to be so excited or nervous. From now on, we're family." Aiden lightly patted Bell's shoulder and continued with a reassuring smile.
"Okay, senpai." Bell responded gratefully, feeling touched by Aiden's kindness.
"Hmm, looks like you two are getting along nicely. Keep it up, Captain." Hestia emerged from the kitchen and remarked upon seeing Aiden and Bell shaking hands.
"Don't call me captain, Hestia." Aiden sighed, hand on his forehead.
"Huh? Why not? Now that Aiden-kun has leveled up to Level 2, you're qualified to be called captain. Plus, it sounds really cool." Hestia insisted.
Aiden repeated his earlier objections, and Hestia relented with a chuckle.
Clapping her hands together, Hestia smiled and said, "I just checked, and there's plenty of ingredients in the kitchen. Tonight, let's have a little banquet to welcome Bell-kun. I'll prepare."
"A banquet for me? Oh, Hestia-sama, there's no need for such extravagance on my account." Bell shook his head in disbelief, feeling overwhelmed by the gesture.
"Don't worry, it's not extravagant at all. Do we look like we're short on money to you?" Aiden gestured expansively with his arms, shrugging.
"Yeah, Bell-kun, do we look like we're lacking money?" Hestia, who once carried the reputation of a goddess of poverty, now proudly boasted of their fortune, feeling triumphant.
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