Chapter 5
Bell's Dream
Bell's consciousness drifted in an endless white space that clearly wasn't apart of reality. The young boy floated there, like a body in water dazed and sore. The pain he felt wasn't nearly as intense as when he took the full brunt of the goblin's swing twice, but it was still more than a little irksome. As he drifted in the endless space, dead eyed and confused, Bell was mostly sure that he was dreaming, yet part of him wondered whether or not he was..
"Am I dead…?" He asked himself quietly, assuming no one would answer him, however…
"You did well, Bell," a voice said from nowhere, making Bell break out of his daze and immediately search for the source of the voice. His motives weren't simple curiosity, but something else. He knew this voice. He was sure of it, yet unsure. It was impossible for him to hear this voice. The only way he could be hearing it is by dying.
"T-That voice…!" Bell flailed in the white space like an inexperienced swimmer in the middle of the ocean. He attempted to move in every direction to find the man behind the voice, but every movement was an effort, yet he did not quit. Despite his efforts, Bell could not see a single other life form in the white void he was in. At least, that was until a bright great blue light that shined like sun and was cast over his whole body. The light was so bright, that he had to avert his eyes to avoid getting blinded. It was so warm and soothing. Like being in front of a flame on a cold winter night, but better. His injuries… the pain he felt was weakening. He was feeling better?! "Why… do I feel so good?"
"The light… somebody out there is healing you, my boy," the voice explained. Bell knew it was coming from the light. Hearing it reminded Bell of his previous objective. Despite how bright it was, he forced himself to look directly at it. He just had a feeling he needed to see what it was covering. After a moment's look, Bell could make out a silhouette. It was the figure of a tall, muscular person. Most likely male. The figure also had a beard. Bell instantly knew his suspicions were correct. This man was…
"G-Grandpa…!" The little youth screamed tearfully. He desperately tried to move forward, but couldn't. It was as though some strong force was holding him back, preventing him from going into the light. "I-I can't move forward?!"
"You did really well out there, Bell," his grandfather's voice continued. "You were even kind of heroic."
"Heroic? What are you-" Finally remembering the events from before, Bell's eyes widened. "C-Clarabeth-san! What happened to her?! Is she she safe?!"
"That's something you'll have to find out for yourself, my boy," Bell's grandfather's voice answered.
"Myself… but I am dead, aren't I?" Bell said, confused. He was sure he was dead after taking that monster's attack. If he wasn't, then… "We wouldn't be talking if I wasn't dead, right?"
"You were in pain up until a moment ago, no," the voice of his deceased relative asked, although it appeared he already knew the answer to his question.
"Y-Yeah…" Bell answered, taking a look at his hands, then he inspected his body. He still felt some pain, but the warmth emanating from the light outweighed the discomfort.
"The pain you felt, the warmth you are feeling right now," the figure of Bell's grandfather continued. "They are all proof that you are alive. Do not underestimate yourself, Bell. You are my grandson and I believe in you, so believe in yourself. I know you won't die so easy."
"But you…!" Died. That was what Bell wanted to say. But he could not. He tried, once again, to force himself forward, to get closer to the man he admired, but it was a futile struggle. He was as close as he was ever going to get.
"Don't stay focused on me, my boy," he advised sternly. "You must move on. Move past the tragedy and the hurt with eyes that only see the path ahead. Stay fixated on someone who's behind you… you're only deterring your own growth."
"I-I don't understand," Bell shouted, tears falling from his eyes. It was frustrating to be able to get a glimpse of his form, but not actually being able to go to him. "If you are not there, then I'm all alone."
"Ah, you think so, huh," he scoffed. "My boy, as long as you keep moving forward, as long as you never stop moving, you'll, eventually, find the things you truly want."
"I will…?"
"I'm certain," his grandfather assured confidently. "Now let's get back to the original topic at hand. You did well saving, Clarabeth-chan. You've made your first steps on becoming a hero."
"W-Well… I just wanted to save her, so…" Bell bashfully tried to explain his reasons, however nothing he said truly reasonable. "There was no real reason to it."
"Hahaha, that's good. You don't need another reason, right?" Bell's grandfather laughed goodnaturedly. "But, seriously, Bell. You certain could've done worse saving Clarabeth-chan. You remember? We used to always pass her by when we'd go to the market. I always knew she'd grow up to be a beauty. Her bombshell of a mother was proof of that, right. Woo mama!"
"Yeah… wait what?"
"But you can't just stop there, kiddo," His grandfather continued on his heartwarming-turned-perverse speech. "You've got to save all of the girls, be they humans, elves, or demi-humans. Save them and be a hero. That way, you can get a harem!"
"That's… That is…" Bell was truly speechless. He could think of nothing to say in the face of grandfathers questionable words.
"Right now, you are too young to partake in the true adult fun, but you can probably get at least a kiss from Clarabeth-chan. At the very least, she won't ever forget the hero who saved her."
"A k-kiss?!" Bell's face grew as red as a tomato at the thought of being kissed by Clarabeth. He wasn't too young to acknowledge that she was a very pretty girl. "From Clarabeth-san?!"
"Of course! Being a hero is all about getting girls!"
"That can't be true!" Bell couldn't help but scream at his grandfather's crazy and morally questionable definition of being a hero.
"Well… true, the girls are just a perk," his grand father admitted before turning serious. "A true hero isn't necessarily the strongest. Nor is he the smartest. A true hero is someone who fights for the ones he chooses to protect, no matter the odds and no matter how banged up he gets. Bell… you can be a hero!!!"
"Grandpa…!" Bell was in awe of his grandfather's words. He hung onto every letter like he was bringing his salvation. His grandpa gave him his answer! He said it! He really said it! "I… can really become one? A hero ?!"
"Goodbye, Bell." His grandfather didn't answer him. Instead, the blue light glew even brighter. It shined even more magnificently than Before. It was blinding. "Until the day we meet again."
"Wait, grandpa-" Bell tried to go to him, but then, as if exploding, the light expanded instantly, consuming him. Instinctually, Bell covered his eyes with his arms in the face of the radiance. He was completely enveloped by the warm light. "So bright!"
After a minute, Bell uncovered his eyes and found himself lying front-side down in a field of flowers. He was confused as to what had just happened. He was sure this wasn't the cemetery, at least. There were no graves. In fact, he felt strangely at peace. The sweet smell of the flowers, the comfort he felt laying on the ground… it all felt kind of… maternal. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to lay there forever, if possible. He also wanted to contemplate what his grandfather had said.
"He said it," Bell whispered giddily. " He really said it. That I can be a hero…!"
Back in reality.
Kyra, Phina, Anna, and Clarabeth waited patiently in the doctor's living room. They were all eager to see if Bell would be alright. To pass the time, Anna asked if it would be okay if they could tell some stories about their adventures. Neith adventurer minded. Phina decided to tell them the story of her first trek into the dungeon. She was very young back then. It was right after she joined Zeus Familia. It was a small party of three with her, Kyra, and Celesta, her teacher. The two older women acted as observers for her, only helping if things got dicey. After receiving Zeus's blessing, she was perfectly capable of killing weak monsters with some effort. When she managed to clear her first floor, she was very happy. Honestly, it was a very small feat. Anybody could do it. But she was the one who did it and that gave her confidence.
"You were a bit too confident back then, Phina-chan," Kyra mused. "You just kept going and going until you reached Floor 5. You do realize that you could've died if we weren't there, right?"
"I-I may have been a bit too eager…" Phina admitted, blushing in embarrassment. "Once I tried to go to the fifth floor, Celesta-sama got mad and bonked me over the head with her staff. You know, all the moms of the familia could learn to be a bit more gentle?"
"Who're you calling a mom?" Kyra asked, glaring at her sharply, intimidating the young elf.
"And how did you become an adventurer, Kyra-san," Anna asked pleasantly.
"In my case, it wasn't a very interesting reason," Kyra began. "I grew up dirt poor and I needed money. If you have no other skills, then becoming an adventure is the fastest way to get money. Sorry if that changes your opinion of me."
"Not at at all," Anna said, waving her hand. "If anything, it makes you more more relatable."
"It sounds like being an adventurer takes all kinds," Clarabeth said. "Is it fun?"
"Fun, huh," Kyra said thoughtfully. This got the two ladies thinking. "It all depends on your goals, honestly. If you want money, it becomes a job."
"If you want fame, it becomes hard work," Phina added.
"But if you want an adventure…"
"It's definitely fun," Phina finished for Kyra.
"Well, that's a terrible explanation," Kyra admitted. "But it all depends on what you want."
"I guess being an adventurer is bit more complicated than one would think," Anna said.
"That's one way of looking at it, I suppose," Kyra smirked.
"Sorry if I'm intruding," Sapphire said as she entered the living room with a silver tray carrying five cups of hot tea in her hands. "But I've brought tea."
"Thank you," the four of them said as they each took a cup of tea.
"This is pretty good," Kyra admitted after taking her first sip. The others agreed as they each took a sip of their own. "You aren't too bad, Sapphire-san."
"Thank you, Kyra-san," Sapphire smiled. Despite the hostile nature the two had had against one another, being given good tea and being thanked for making it was enough to make any tension disappear a bit.
"Sapphire-san here makes some of the best tea in the village," Anna said, putting in her two cents.
"I'm hardly as good as Soriya-san or Alexa-san," Sapphire retorted.
"So… I'll ask what I want to know," Kyra said with a serious tone, putting an abrupt end to the small talk. "How is Bell-kun?"
"For starters, we had to give him some blood replenishing potion," Sapphire began. Phina expected that Bell needed some blood. Her magic healed injuries, but it didn't restore lost blood. "As for his injuries… he was mostly bruised, however, his right shoulder was fractured. We wrapped it up and will put it in a sling once he wakes up. We also force fed him some painkillers."
"When will he wake up?" Kyra asked.
"Hard to say," Sapphire answered. "Oleson-sensei say he might be out til tonight. I agree with him. He must've lost a lot of energy in a short period of time. Having said all that, he'll be fine." Sapphire added, smiling. "The doctor's an insensitive twat, but he's very good at what he does. Right now he's keeping an eye on him."
"I see…" Kyra sighed in relief. "Well, I suppose this is the best I can hope for, rather I should be thankful that it wasn't more serious."
"I agree," Sapphire nodded.
"Anyway, since we have some spare time, I would like to ask you something, Sapphire-san," Kyra said after taking another sip of her tea. "Your concern with Bell-kun… how well do you know him, exactly?"
The other three females were surprised by the sudden question. Sapphire was also caught off guard. However, she began explaining things. "For starters, you all agree that Old Man Cranel was a ridiculous pervert, yes?"
"Of course," Kyra nodded.
"Who wouldn't?" Phina said.
"There isn't a single woman in the village who would disagree with that," Anna nodded, showing equal displeasure for the man. Only young Clarabeth, who didn't know the old man too well, was confused.
"Indeed," Sapphire smirked. No one seemed to have any reservations about insulting the so-called deceased.
"You see, I actually came to this village about 5 years ago," Sapphire revealed. "I came here to learn medicine from Sensei. We met in a certain city while he was outside of the village for business. At the time, I had desired with all my heart to be a doctor, but medical school is expensive and I just couldn't afford it. It was frustrating, but I just accepted that it wasn't going to happen. However, I would always find myself longfully staring at the med school building. One day, it was there that Oleson-sensei approached me and asked if I wanted to be a doctor. At first, I thought he was just an old perv trying to make a move on me, but once I got to know him, I realized he was sincere. Eventually, he asked me to become his student and work for him as a nurse here. Around that time… I got acquainted with the old man."
"Ah, now I see," Phina said, realizing how Sapphire and the old man knew each other. Her face was comparable to that of a disappointed granddaughter embarrassed by her perverted grandfather's deplorable actions.
"You were a beautiful nurse that just arrived at the village," Kyra said, beginning a narration of the theory that she and Phina shared. "The old man got smitten with you so he made regular visits to this clinic regardless of whether he was sick or not. Am I right?"
"Almost dead on," Sapphire nodded with a dry expression. "However, there's a teeny little fact you didn't get. Eventually, I grew irritated with that perverse old man and wouldn't let him in even when Oleson-sensei said it was okay- personally, I think they were in on it together. Strength in numbers and all that phooey. So, Old Man Cranel brought a secret weapon..."
"You don't mean…" Kyra's eyes narrowed and her expression turned dangerous.
"He used Bell-kun to get inside," Sapphire revealed, her expression equally dangerous.
"That scumbag!" Kyra snarled. "He used him, a little boy, just to ogle at a beautiful woman?! What the hell has he been doing these past 10 years?!"
"At first, it was legitimate reasons such as a common cold," Sapphire explained. "But, quickly, they always became the most irrelevant and ridiculous things. A small paper cut here, a random sneeze there, and he even brought little Bell-kun in because he thought he was too healthy. Honestly!"
"We're sorry! We're Sorry! We're sorry a thousand times over!" Kyra and Phina bowed their heads and raised them again and again and again until Sapphire stopped them.
"It isn't as though I blame you two," Sapphire assured, holding up her hands. "Nor do I blame Bell-kun."
"Thank you," Kyra sighed before scowling. "But, honestly, that old man. I don't believe him. Using Bell-kun to make a move on a beautiful woman… he was so pathetic. He hasn't changed one bit."
"You mean he has always done things like that?" Sapphire asked, annoyed yet not surprised.
"Let's just say the old coot would do anything to get a girl," Kyra mused.
"Undoubtedly, Cranel-san was a dodgy womanizer," Anna said. "However, nobody can deny that he loved Bell-kun with all his heart."
"..."
"..."
Kyra and Sapphire became silent. Anna spoke the truth. Sapphire remembered how good the old man was his little grandson. Standing side by side with him, picking him up when he fell down, encouraging him when his spirits were low… always beside him, and, now that he was gone, Bell was by himself. Kyra remembered 10 years ago, when a certain old god promised to look after a certain infant as if he were his own grandson, while his parent continued their struggle against their hated enemy. Even Kyra could not deny that he was… admirable. Yes, despite sharing the mutual opinion that he was an irredeemable pervert, both women internally admit that he, Bell's grandfather, was a good man.
"Y-Yeah…" Sapphire said unpleasantly.
"The old man was a good guy," Kyra admitted reluctantly, as if saying something truly humiliating and disgusting.
"Yes, but he was still a scummy pervert," Anna said with a bright smile, contradicting her words.
'Make up your mind already, would you?!' Kyra and Sapphire thought with irritation.
"But to Bell-kun… he was his only family," Anna said sadly before embracing her daughter tenderly. "Before today, I couldn't honestly say I understood how he felt… losing a family member the way he did, but I thought I did. I had lost both of my parents to illness a long time ago, but I had the time to accept it, but Bell-kun didn't. His was a sudden loss… just like it could've been with my Clarabeth. I feel disgusted with myself thinking so, but I am actually very happy that Bell-kun took the hit for her… he has a sturdy body, but if Clarabeth had received a full blow from that thing, then… I don't even want to think about it!"
"Mama…" Clarabeth was shocked by how emotional her mother had gotten, but it was understandable, or more accurately, it was expected. Perhaps it was because Bell had been the most prominent person in her thoughts right now, but it was only now starting to dawn on her what might've happened had Bell not come to her rescue. The powerful swing of the goblin's club, in no uncertain terms, nearly shattered Bell, who was considerably sturdier than her due to working diligently as a farm boy. Had she been one to receive both blows… no question, she would have died. The very thought sent a chill down Clarabeth's spine and made her instinctively hug her mother back, trembling vigorously.
Watching them, the ladies felt both uncomfortable and sympathetic. They had just faced death for the first time. It was not something that they could just brush off as if it never happened. They'd get over it with a bit of time, the adventurer ladies were sure, but for now, they needed time to process things and calm down their shaken spirits. It was something that they, as adventurers who constantly faced death in the dungeon, could understand.
As Kyra watched them, she couldn't help but feel envious of Anna. She could embrace her child without shame, because she was a good parent. But her… Kyra felt that she didn't even qualify to be a mother.
"So, please, explain what had happened, Nim," Kudo requested as he, Nim, the Mayor, Monica, and the rest of Zeus Familia in tow walked rapidly to the doctors home. Kirk said he was going to go explain to the ones who had escaped the goblin attack before Kyra and company had arrived that everything was fine now. Needless panic may ensue if he did not.
"Yes, please do," Monica urged the young chienthrope girl, looking anxious. She, Kuda, Nim, and her grandfather were at the from with the rest of the familia following closely behind.
"Well…" Nim explained from the beginning. She started by saying that she and Phina had arrived right after Kyra and that Bell had gotten seriously injured by protecting Clarabeth from the monsters. Phina healed him, but could completely heal him. So, after Kyra killed the goblins, they took him to the doctor with a horrible sense of humor. "Sorry, we were just weren't quick enough to save him before things got bad."
"No," Kuda shook his head, smiling gently. "You all moved as quickly as possible and dealt with the problem swiftly before anyone was killed. I can't ask for more than that. God job, Nim." He patted her head in a fatherly fashion, much to Nim's enjoyment.
"Oooh, but I barely did anything," she said while holding cheeks with a pleased face. "All I did was act as transport."
"Oh, yeah, that's true," Kida nodded, removing his hand from her head.
"Don't just agree with me!" Nim raged.
"Kidding, kidding," he assured, laughing at Nim's irritated expression before smiling tenderly again. "…but, really, you all did good."
"Hmph," Nim pouted, rolling her eyes.
"I want to thank you as well," Monica said. "I don't what I'd do if Bell-kun had gotten… anyway, thank you for protecting him and our villagers."
"As mayor I also want to thank you," the elderly mayor said graciously.
"Oh, um, you're welcome," Nim said uncomfortably. She wasn't used to receiving so much praise. "But like I said, it was Kyra-san and Phina who did all the real work. Honestly, it's Bell-kun who was the real hero today. I didn't actually see it, but, apparently, when he saw that that girl was in trouble he made a mad dash and intercepted that monster that was about to hurt the innocent girl and blocked it's attack with his whole body. He even lost consciousness while on his feet. It was as if he was telling the girl and the monster that even if he died he wouldn't let it hurt her. It was really cool."
"I'm not sure how I should feel about that…" Monica muttered.
"Is that so… huh?" Kuda muttered, his expression unreadable. In all honesty, he was pleased with Bell for doing exactly what a man ought to in such a situation. But… he felt another emotion he wasn't familiar with? Was it worry? As an adventurer of a powerful familia, he felt worry for his comrades while in the dungeon constantly, but this felt different. He didn't like hearing Bell had gotten hurt. Of course he wouldn't. Ignoring everything else, Bell was still a kid. He shouldn't have gotten hurt. They… he should've been faster. They- Zeus Familia- were getting sloppy. Just because they were weaker than before did not mean that they should condone this sort of incompetence… Kuda could not help but think these thoughts for some reason. 'Am I the overprotective type?'
"You shouldn't feel too responsible, Kuda-san," Nim said.
"Eh? What-"
"Your thoughts are written all over your face," the young chienthrope girl said.
"Hm… you didn't seem like the type to overthink things, but," Monica said, giggling as she walked beside Kuda. "Well, you certainly wear your heart on your sleeve. Can't say I dislike that."
"Oh, um…" Kuda could not respond as his face became red. He had always been like this. An awkward guy that was easy to put in a corner, in a certain sense. He had hoped that that part of him would change as he got older, but it didn't seem like it. 'Honestly, will I ever change?'
"You need to quit being such a worry wart, you moron," a blonde werewolf man said coldly. It was difficult to tell with his cloak on, but this werewolf had a very powerful build that matched up well with his Level 6 status. His name was Alystar Fenras. He and Kuda have known each other for a long time. Kuda would describe him as a good hearted person who insisted on acting like mr. cool. "Kids get hurt. Why worry about something that you had no control over?"
"I-I'm not really worrying…" he insisted.
"You really are," teased a young looking male prum said. laughing at Kuda.
"Keto, I swear I'll," Kuda muttered a threat at his prum peer.
"Well, the fact that you worry so much about other people is one of your good points, Kuda," Celesta said.
"It's cute if nothing else," a tall and beautiful amazon said.
"You guys," he growled, getting aggravated by his familia's teasing of him. "Just shut up!"
"Hah… quick to anger, huh," Alystar muttered. The familia continued on until they finally reached doctor's home.
"Well, we're here," Nim announced, feeling more anxious than she thought she would. It was now or never. Bell would meet Zeus Familia.
"Ah, you've all arrived," Kyra, who had sensed her familia's arrival and opened the front door, said.
"Hey, Kyra," Kuda said. "We heard what happened. How is he?"
"Oh, so you are all Zeus Familia," a blue haired woman-Sapphire- said as appeared beside Kyra. "Bell-kun will be just fine. The Doctor has assured that much. But for now, please come inside, Zeus Familia. Oh, Monica-san and the mayor are here too?"
"Hello, Sapphire," Monica said politely. "Thank you for treating Bell-kun."
"Yes, thanks, Sapphire-chan," The mayor said.
"It was nothing," she said. "Please, come in."
"Sorry about the crowd, Sapphire-san…"
"...It's fine."
Sapphire said that to Kuda, but she looked a bit too irritated that the whole of Zeus Familia was now crowding in her medical teachers living room. After the familia came in, the living room was miraculously able to hold the 30 man party, however, the room was now so crowded that one could not even bend their elbows without bumping into someone. Needless to say, everyone was feeling quite claustrophobic. Also, Kuda and Sapphire was leaning back against a wall perpendicular to the kitchen opening.
"Hower, this is quite irksome," she sighed.
"Sorry…" Kuda sighed. His fellow familia members did not seem the least bit bothered by their cramped conditions as they socialized with one another. One could say that being able to adapt to a situation such as this without a single complaint was one of Zeus Familia's strong points, but Kuda didn't see it like that. He saw it as his Familia being way too lax and easy going for their own good. 'Honestly, these guys are far too easy going. We're waiting for Bell-kun to wake up from a monster attack for crying out loud!'
"I guess this is really happening," Sapphire said quietly as she watched Zeus Familia clutter in the doctor's house living room. "You, Zeus Familia, are really here. I never would have expected people of your reputation to come here, a remote village. I must admit, I'm overwhelmed."
"You don't sound like it," Kuda muttered. This woman had shown to be passionate about some things and cool and calm about other subjects. Although, Kuda had only seen her calm side.
"The werewolf, Alystar Fenras, the high elf, Celesta Lodos, the amazon, Lezana Askas, the dwarf, Baren Trogger, and, the one I had the pleasure of meeting, Kyra Slavis," Sapphire said, listing the names of some of the strongest members of the familia. "And many more. These are all big names of the city of Orario. There are still others to be named, such as you, Kuda, captain of Zeus Familia."
"You're well informed, Sapphire-san," Kuda said, unphased by her knowledge of his familia.
"I just know what is common knowledge," she said. "And maybe a little more."
"I'm guessing the 'little more' comes from your time as a Rakian soldier?" Kuda said cooly. "Sapphire DeLousise-san, one of Ares's top 5 soldiers. His few Level 4s. At least, they were until they either died or went missing. If I remember right, 2 died in accidents, 1 contracted a terrible illness and died from it, and the last 2 went missing in action. I'm guessing you belong to the missing?"
"...!" Sapphire's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recomposed herself, putting a small, empty smile on her face as if preparing herself to resign to a less than pleasant fate. "I can't really be surprised, I suppose. You are Zeus Familia's captain after all. It would be weird if you didn't know that much."
"Well, I just remember the last war Ares launched against us," Kuda explained, smiling wryly. "You 5 were the most troublesome factor at that time. You stood out. It came through our information network about all of your fates."
"Hmph, I remember Ares-sama's previous campaign as well," Sapphire said, smiling bitterly. "And we were no match for the terrifying Zeus and Hera Familias. Not at all. It was a nightmare. It was because of that that I defected from Rakia to avoid being apart of any more of Ares-sama's war campaigns. Seriously, you people left me traumatized."
"S-Sorry…" Kuda said dryly.
"You're too apologetic for an adventurer," she sighed. "I assume Kyra-san figured me out as well?"
"Probably, she's got an eye for former enemies. I'm sure the others guessed it too, if not they will eventually."
"So, what happens now?" Sapphire asked darkly. She really seemed to be expecting Kuda to hurt her on account of suspicion that she could be a Rakian spy. It was a rational suspicion. Of course, to protect a village, Kuda could by all rights sleigh Sapphire to prevent a potential risk from harming everyone. If nothing else, she could possibly have vengeful feelings against Zeus Familia for their part in defeating Rakia. "Will you kill me? Tell everyone about me?"
"How many people know?" Kuda asked, avoiding looking her in the eye. "In the village, I mean."
"Oleson-sensei and the mayor are the only ones who know," she answered. "I never wanted anyone else to know."
"I see," Kuda said before smiling. "You're rather calm."
"I always kind of knew that my reckoning would come one day," she explained. "I'm basically lying to to everyone. I deserve what I-"
"I'll save you the surprise, Sapphire-san," Kyra said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere right next to Sapphire, startling Kuda and the nurse.
"When did…?" Sapphire said, her heart racing.
"How do you always do that?" Kuda asked. For as long as he's known her, Kuda's wife had always been able to sneak up on people, even higher level adventurers. It was an impressive skill to say the least.
"Kuda won't cause you any trouble," Kyra explained, ignoring their questions and startled looks. "He's nice to almost all women and girls. It's one of his best and worst traits. Honestly, as his wife, it can be quite vexing, but I've long since accepted that he's the kind of man who belongs to everyone. I can at least be satisfied that I'm number 1."
"H-Hey, Kyra?" Kuda looked flabbergasted at his wife's description. "First Nim, now you? Why does everyone call me a womanizer?!"
"You're more of an accidental womanizer," she answered cooly. "But enough of that. Your secret is safe with us, Sapphire-san. You genuinely care about Bell-kun, so I can't think of you as an enemy, but if it turns out that you're just a liar who is only going to cause chaos, then I won't hesitate to cut off your head."
"I'll keep that in mind," she stated calmly. "And your right, I do care about Bell-kun as if he was my little brother. Honestly, in this current situation, you and this familia of yours are far more suspicious than me. Suddenly appearing out of nowhere the way you have… to be blunt, I can't trust you. Any of you. If you people turn out to be scum, then I'll use every dirty trick my brain can think up to take you all down."
"That's big talk from a run away soldier, I'm kind of curious to see if you can actually pull it off," Kyra smirked provocatively, looking completely different from the awkward lady who was carrying Bell to this doctor's house. Her expression matched what most would imagine a seasoned warrior woman should have. Fierce and frightening. Faced against the also intense glare from Sapphire, it looked like a spark of lightning was produced from the two battle trained lady face off. Even though he wasn't actually physically in the middle of it, Kuda sure felt like he was. He looked to his other familia members, who were but a step or two away from them, for help, but it looked like they hadn't noticed anything yet. No, it was more like they had noticed but were ignoring the situation and leaving Kuda to deal with this toxic problem.
'Those traitors…!' Kuda mentally cursed his familia for their cowardice, scowling hatefully at each and everyone of them. He was about to say something when the doctor announced himself loudly.
"Excuse me, everyone," the doctor, who already knew that Zeus Familia had arrived and was now crowding in his living room, said loud enough for everyone to hear him. "For those of you who don't know, I am Doctor Oswald Oleson. I just wanted to let everyone know that Bell-kun has woken up."
!!!
At that moment, the intense atmosphere created by Kyra and Sapphire instantly vanished. They now had looks of shock, relief, and happiness. A loud cheer erupted from the Zeus Familia, happy that the boy that they had come to see was okay. Kuda was also happily surprised that Bell had awoken so soon after they had arrived at the doctors home. But he was also feeling anxious. There would be no delays now. No monsters that needed to be killed. No business that needed doing. The only thing left was to meet him.
It was time to meet the boy who could be considered Zeus Familia's final member.