Danmachi IF - What if Alfia survived

Chapter 22: Change and Ambush

When something troubling occurs, he becomes agitated. When he is sad, he becomes depressed. He will blush and smile when he is happy.

He's just an ordinary boy who deserves to be surrounded by kindness and happiness, on the surface, where there is no conflict.

But today, I noticed something different about this boy.

I don't know how to put it into words.

Before, he looked absent-minded and always went with the flow.

But he's more determined now... and that absent-minded doesn't show on his face anymore.

Did something happen to him yesterday?

I tried to form my words to find out the source of this confusion.

"Bell, Can I ask you something?"

"?"

"Why... Why do you want to be an adventurer? What's your reason for getting stronger?"

I changed my question in the end.

He

"Umm... There are people that I wanted to reach..... and I wanted to be a hero."

Bell said it with an embarrassed expression at first, but when he said the word hero, his face changed to solemn.

"A... Hero?"

His words pierced my heart as if there was a stinging pain there.

Because I know

There is no such thing as a hero.

I, standing here with a weapon, are proof that there is no hero.

"Yes... a hero that appeared in the story. I wish to become like them."

"...I see."

That is the boy's sincere and pure wish.

"But it's kinda embarrassing to say it in front of Aiz-san... Ahaha..."

"Why?"

When Bell said that, I tilted my head.

"Well, It's because Aiz-san is level 6, and I'm still level 1... And I see Aiz-san as a real hero... saying one wanted to be a hero in front of hero is-"

"I'm not a hero."

I broke Bell's words.

"I'm just an ugly girl. I always made everyone worried about me. Even the reason I wanted to be an adventurer is because I want to kill monsters... That kind of impure motive is not something that a hero shouldn't have... In the end, I'm the same as monsters... I'm not a he-"

"T-That's not true!"

But this time, it was Bell who broke my word.

"You saved me! You're not the same as a monster! You were cool when you saved me. You were just like the heroes that I read about in stories! Also... You were beautiful! That's why I...! Ah..."

Bell abruptly stopped speaking after blushing.

"Uhh... how do you say it uh...."

Just as I thought, he's similar... to the Aiz back then, who no longer exists...

"Thank you, Bell... It would be good if you could be a hero someday...."

"Y-Yes! I'll work hard!"

By now, I'm convinced that the white flames that I always saw from this boy are not an illusion.

His pure white flame burned so brightly that it blinded me.