Azrael
I owed a giant debt to Bell; by some stroke of fate, he had gotten the angry Hestia to forgive me for getting Bell hurt. He had also somehow convinced her to keep my descendance a secret from the other gods. I suppose it wasn't entirely just luck that she let me off; it is clear to me that Hestia has fallen for the boy Bell. I can only wonder if he'll one day reciprocate those feelings.
"So what happened after I passed out?" I asked Bell; it was only him and I in the church house since Hestia had left to meet up with a few other gods, for whatever reason.
I hope she doesn't rat me out...
"Miss Ais saved me just as the Minotaur was about to attack, and she also helped me get you out of the dungeon with her companion." He answered with a beaming smile. Oh... Well, sorry Hestia, it seems the young boy has just found his first love, and it isn't you.
"Miss Ais?" I ask curiously. My memory pans back to the young girl with blond hair and golden eyes who I saw just before losing consciousness. She seemed just a bit older than Bell.
"Yes!" He said with a few excited nods, "Miss Ais Wallenstein! She's an adventurer from the Loki familia, and she slayed the Minotaur in a single hit!" His eyes glimmered with excitement, and his words were laced with respect and idolisation.
"In a single slash, huh?" I said mainly to myself as I recalled my own fight with the Minotaur. During my fight I took many severe hits and struggled to damage the Minotaur's skin... I don't doubt my own abilities, but I really am weaker without divine power. Perhaps I should blame my sword too...
"Mhm! It was like woosh! And then it splattered blood all over me before exploding!" He acted out all of her moments while speaking.
"I take it you have found your goal then?" I questioned as he finished up his acting of Ais' movements. His response was silent, a determined gaze and a powerful nod. "You'll have to work hard in the dungeon then. Be careful though, Bell."
"What about you, Mr. Azrael?" Probed Bell with a curious expression. My response came delayed as I mentally debated what I should do next. Eventually, I came to the conclusion it would be best to find a better weapon and head back into the dungeon. However, I would distance myself from Bell such that I do not impede his growth as an adventurer.
"I believe I will take a short break from the dungeon in order to gather some better equipment." I finally answered, breaking the silence.
"So you do still plan on adventuring in the dungeon? Then why not join our familia!?" He quickly responded with a beaming smile and hopeful eyes.
"Despite having concealed my divinity, I'm still a deity, and I'm not sure if it would work like that." I clarified, making sure he was clear that I wasn't 100% sure on the subject.
"Then maybe you would want to start your own familia?" He questioned innocently. I immediately shook the idea away.
"That's not my style. I wouldn't want to be the head figure of something or sort all the civil stuff.... Back in heaven I was more of a weapon. I'm more used to the practical side of things." I refuted clearing up the idea that I would ever want to run a familla.
"A weapon...?" The boy queried, "They didn't see you as a person?" He asked with a truly innocent expression.
"Let's forget about that for today." I responded, simultaneously evading his question. I didn't want to damage his view on the gods; he was just too pure.
"Oh well, at least we can still go on dungeon dives together." He exclaimed, finding the positive in the situation.
"Of course, we'll definitely go on dives every now and then." I agreed as I stood up from the sofa to stretch out my body. Lying in the bed all day really stiffened me up. Bandages wrapped up my torso tightly; that was the most severe wound from my fight with the Minotaur, but I can't even really feel it anymore. I suppose my body isn't as weak as I thought. With recovery time like this, even without divine power, my improvement will be greatly accelerated.
I turned to Bell, who was still sitting on the sofa. "I'm starving; do you know any good food places?" He thought for a moment before nodding with an enthusiastic grin.
"I do actually!" He echoed back before grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the exit of the run-down church. "On my way towards the dungeon this morning, a girl named Syr made me promise to come visit a pub called the 'Hostess of Fertility.'" I casually nodded along as he spoke... until my mind fully took in his words.
"You went to the dungeon this morning? How long was I unconscious?" I asked curiously, though my question need not be answered. We exited the confines of the cramped, yet homey church only to be presented with a darkened, cloudless sky. Ever-present was the soft glow of moonlight; bright stars danced gracefully in the soft backdrop of dark blues and lighter purples.
"You ended up sleeping through most of the day... Your injuries were pretty severe." Bell answered, derailing my train of thought. My gaze drifted across the endless night down towards the row of lights trailing the roads. Then finally, my gaze landed on Bell, who was rubbing the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed that he had forgotten to tell me how long I had slept.
"No worries; it's understandable that I wouldn't have woken up instantly." My mind phased back to the Minotaur's horn tearing through my flesh and crashing me into the dungeon wall. Unconsciously, my hand drifted to the portion of my body penetrated by the horn; pleasantly, there was no pain whatsoever.
"And you got out without any serious injuries?" I asked Bell.
"Yes." He responded, "I was lucky enough to be saved by Ais just before the Minotaur attack would've hit me!" He added on with a beaming smile radiating gratification.
"That's good. Shall we head to the 'Hostess of Fertility' now?"