Chapter 11 - A Peaceful Night
A dungeon is basically a womb that breeds monsters. No surprise there. It makes sense why these monsters can spawn from the walls.
But the weird part? This womb is controlled by something, some kind of will. Bell Didn't see that coming.
It's no shock that Babel is built on top of the dungeon. Besides keeping the monster spawns in check, the gods are after the dungeon's core after they take down the One-Eyed Black Dragon. But even if they kill the Dragon, the dungeon isn't going anywhere, and this playground of theirs stays open.
"The Hera Familia and Zeus Familia got wiped out when they tried to take down the Dragon. The main reason seems to be that the Dragon holds the dungeon's core. But there's got to be more to it; otherwise, those two powerful familias, with Level 8 and Level 9 adventurers, wouldn't have been completely destroyed."
Bell figured there had to be something going on behind the scenes. But he hadn't read the whole story about their failure, just picked up some basics from places like Wikipedia.
That didn't mean he had all the answers.
Bell always respected the unknown.
For the things he didn't know, Bell wasn't about to start guessing. But this stuff about the dungeon needed to be written down.
Even if it's not guessing, it's better to gather more intel. If more details pop up later, maybe he'll get a clearer picture of what really went down back then.
Seeing how Bell was still deep in thought, Hestia nodded slightly.
After a moment, Hestia kept the conversation going once she saw Bell snap out of his thoughts.
"So, Bell, if you're going into the dungeon, don't take it lightly. There's a lot of crazy stuff in there. Once you're in, getting you out won't be easy, so you've got to watch your own back."
Feeling Hestia's concern, Bell took her words seriously. As he'd just said, he wasn't stupid.
Dying just to get stronger is a waste. Even if he wants to aim high and take down stronger monsters, he needs the right tools and skills.
Being a leader of Familia means building a solid foundation. Without that, he won't be leading anyone, let alone taking on the enemy.
"Don't worry, Hestia-sama. I'll be extra careful in the dungeon. I'm not an idiot, and I'm not looking to die anytime soon."
Of course, that didn't mean Bell didn't have other reasons for going into the dungeon.
Money and skill.
The "Type Moon System" offered a way to trade money for growth, and Bell wasn't about to let that slip by.
He might be able to buy power, but skill isn't something he can just throw money at.
And the best part about dungeons? They're prime for getting that initial money and skill.
The upper floors of the dungeon aren't too intense, designed to help rookie adventurers get used to the place. It's a solid way to set up for diving into the middle and lower floors later.
Bell agreed with that.
Hestia looked relieved after hearing Bell's promise. As long as Bell doesn't dive too deep into the dungeon, the risk is a lot lower.
After relaxing, she started feeling the exhaustion from cleaning earlier.
Hestia yawned, her eyes narrowing as she raised her hand to wipe them.
Seeing Hestia looking tired, Bell didn't hang around. He tossed the quilt on the sofa, kicked off his shoes, and lay down.
"Hestia-sama, let's talk more tomorrow."
"Yeah, I'm beat too~"
Hestia could barely keep her eyes open as she yawned on the wooden bed. She glanced at Bell, who was crashing on the sofa, and a small smile crept onto her face.
"Today was a good day. Bell joined my familia, and I finally have a family."
Hestia blew out the candle next to her. A thin wisp of smoke rose, and the smell of burnt wax filled the room.
In the dim light, both of them settled in, one on the bed, the other on the sofa.
Bell, who had been on the move all day, quickly fell asleep. After more than ten days on the road, always watching his back, Bell was exhausted. Crashing on the sofa and getting some real sleep was the best reward.
Bell was out asleep, but Hestia, who was tired a moment ago, couldn't sleep right away.
"Bell, you awake?"
Only the sound of steady breathing answered her.
"Asleep, huh? Bell-kun looks wiped out."
She didn't know what Bell had been through to get to Orario, but sleeping like this had to have been rough.
Hestia sat up, just watching Bell sleep on the sofa next to her.
"I never expected my first familia member to show up like this."
Thinking back, her meeting with Bell was pretty wild.
If she hadn't gone to Hephaestus to vent after getting rejected by adventurers, she wouldn't have met Bell. And Bell wouldn't have become her child when he asked Hephaestus for an introduction.
Hestia narrowed her eyes, feeling a warmth spread through her chest.
Time passed, and the moonlight streamed through the window.
The cool light fell on Bell's face as he slept on the sofa.
In the moonlight, Bell's fair skin seemed to glow. His perfect, sleeping face made Hestia stare.
"So cute~"
Hestia already thought Bell was her type, and now, seeing him asleep in the moonlight, she was sure. Bell was really cute, like a newborn baby peacefully sleeping.
She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she remembered it was late, so she held back.
"My child is so damn cute."
As a goddess, Hestia was pretty satisfied, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Looking at him, Hestia slowly felt the tiredness return. She closed her eyes, and soon, she was out too.
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[IMG of sleepy Hestia]
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(You can read ahead upto ch38)