The next day
"Bell, come outside."
"...Ngg?"
It was when the sun hasn't shown itself. Alfia woke Bell up and told him to come outside.
Bell washed his face and walked outside. He found Artemis was carrying a box of potion.
"Goddess, what is that box of potion for?"
"Ah, Alfia said this is needed. Don't mind it, Bell." Artemis let out a wide smile.
Sweats falling from Bell's forehead, he remembered Alfia's word yesterday.
"Okay, Bell, try attacking me however you like."
"But Alfia, you didn't have any weapon?"
"Don't make me repeat so many times, Bell!" Alfia snapped as she opens her eyes.
"C-Coming!"
Bell charged frantically towards Alfia,
He swung his sword, but it was stopped by Alfia's fingers easily.
Bell widened his eyes.
"Gospel"
With that one word, Bell was suddenly blown away.
"Alfia, you went too far! Bell is just level 1!"
"No, can't do Artemis. As an adventurer, he just made a grave mistake. He underestimated his opponent. I could see a mermaid stabs him when he let his guard down. It seems I spoiled him too much."
(Huh... where am I?)
"Until when did you want to sleep? Stand up, Bell."
Bell's head was hit with dizziness that he never experienced before as he tried to stand up.
His vision was blurry, and he could feel his ears ruptured, his eyes bleeding, and his nose bleeding. All his senses were broken.
Artemis ran to Bell and had Bell drink the potion that she prepared beforehand.
Slowly Bell's regained his senses and the dizziness faded.
(What was that? Alfia didn't use anything... and I was blown away... is that the magic that she always used on grandfather?)
"You understand, Bell? No need to hold back. I can smash you even without a weapon, now come again."
(S-She's strong! Be it, Aiz Wallenstein, be it her, they are so strong!)
Bell steeled himself and charged again
"Gospel"
Bell dodged to the side when he saw Alfia moved her mouth.
Just as he thought he was safe.
He was blown again once again.
When Bell came to his senses, he saw Alfia was sitting beside him.
"Alfia... you are so strong..." Said Bell as he stretched his arm to the sky.
"Strong, huh.. what now, Bell? Getting cold feet?"
"Can I... become as strong as you one day?"
Alfia smiled bitterly when she heard Bell's word that hinting a frustration from him.
"You stupid, why you aiming for me. I'm just a ghost of the past. A wall, if I need to say. Don't stop at me, Bell. Your goal is bigger than that, right?"
"Alfia..."
"I more or less gauged your power already. I'll devise a plan to teach you."
"I might not be able to teach you much about fighting as a frontline, but if you are using a sword, I can teach you a bit. Lend me your sword."
"Are you able to use a sword too!?"
"Just a bit"
Alfia took Bell's sword. It was a cheap sword that was given by the guild on the first day.
Alfia walked to a tree near them.
"This is how you wield a sword."
The moment Alfia swung, the whole place reverberated. The ground was shaking, the tree was cut in 2, no it was also blown away.
"W-Wow..." Bell's response was only simple amazement.
"This was once the swordsmanship of the greatest swordsman that I knew. I will have you learn this, Bell."
The training would resume again, and as a result, Bell would fell unconscious a few more times until they stopped.
When night comes, Alfia came to Bell's room bringing a lot of books.
"Bell, start reading these."
Few days have passed since the training began.
Every day, Bell feels like he broke another bone when training with Alfia without him being able to hit her for once. All his attack was stopped by her fingers.
Her method of attack was simple. All she needs is just one word to make Bell lost his consciousness. He will be dead if he doesn't get splashed by a bunch of potions.
The worst part, Alfia said she already reduced her magic output.
Today, he was woken up by Alfia and was told to enjoy one day holiday for this event called monsterphilia.
"What is monsterphilia?" Asked Bell
"This event didn't exist back then. You should go together with Artemis Bell. You both are new to this town."
Artemis nodded. She then stared at a pamphlet in her hand.
"Monster... philia... Ouranos, what are you thinking?"
"What do you mean, goddess? Monster...philia?"
"Bell, This event is written as "monster festival" and read as Monsterphilia. Philia, or in our language filial means affection, or love."
"Love...? To a monster?" Bell asked with a confusion
"That seems a monster fetish to me. That's disgusting. What is Ouranos playing at?" Alfia, who was listening to both of them, added.
"Of course, it doesn't always mean love, it could be friendship... but what does Ouranos true intention of holding this event? Are you saying we need affection toward monsters? That joke is not funny if it's coming from the first god that descended to the lower world."
"Well, there's no other point than asking the god itself, Bell, Artemis, just in case, but bring your weapon today."
"Alfia?"
"If nothing happens, then there's that Bell, but my hunch is telling me something gonna happen."
=
After waiting for a bit outside, Artemis came out from the abandoned church
"Sorry Bell, let's go."
"Artemis, can we visit Hostess of Fertility first? I want to tell Syr that I'm not going to the dungeon today."
"Sure, let's go, Bell."
As soon as they arrived at the Hostess of fertility, they were greeted by Anya Fromel, a waitress at Hostess of fertility. "Ah, perfect timing nyaa, white hair-kun!"
"? Me?" Bell pointed at himself
"Ah, good morning."
"Good morning, what's wrong... eh..."
"Ah, my bad nyaa, my name is Anya Fromel, white hair-kun I have request nyaa."
"Request?"
Anya handed him a wallet.
"So, what I want is for you to give this wallet to that airhead Syr nya."
"Eehh... Sorry, I don't understand.." Bell replied with a bitter smile.
"Anya, that's not a good explanation. Cranel-san is confused."
Another hostess of fertility waitress with green hair came while holding a bucket of clothes. She is Ryuu Lion.
"You're so dumb, Ryuu. He can understand that I want him to take Syr her wallet, which she forgot when she skipped out on her shift and went to monsterphilia. He is so smart that I don't need to explain to him every little thing, nya."
"And that's the situation, Cranel-san."
"I see."
"Syr, of course, did not skip out on her shift. She took a vacation day for the festival. She's probably in trouble without her wallet. Please help Cranel-san."
"Please!"
"Alright, please leave it to me" Bell took the wallet and replied with a smile.
"So umm... What's monsterphilia anyway?"
"Monsterphilia is a huge festival held once a year by the Ganesha familia nya!"
"They take over the Colosseum for a full day, and tame monsters brought from the dungeon in front of the whole crowd." Added Ryuu
"It's a really hardcore spectacle, more or less."
"Spectacle, huh...?" Artemis, who was silent all this, were pondering at the word spectacle.
"Goddess, what's wrong?"
"You two, citizens of Orario, why do you think the event was hosted?" Asked Artemis
"Ehh, maybe to make us feel that the monster aren't to be afraid for? Because we can beat them?"
"And since when did humans were able to beat monsters? Zeus and Hera lost to the black dragon, and humans were on the brink of extinction... Ouranos... Just what are you planning.."
"A-Artemis-sama?" Ryuu looked confused at Artemis, whose face turned grave as if she realized something.
"It's nothing. Sorry to startle you two, let's go, Bell." Artemis urging Bell to go as she pushed Bell's back
"G-Goddess? Anya-san, Ryuu-san, I'm off!"
=
Inside a cafe, two women were talking with each other.
"Hey, Loki, I would be grateful if you can overlook what I'm going to do after this." Said a white-haired woman that's wearing a hood.
"So, which kid are you after this time, Freya?" On the opposite of her, a woman with red hair was looking at her sharply.
"This kid is so fragile that just a single touch would make him cry, but he was so beautiful, almost ethereal, his soul were that of a color that I never saw before. It was truly a coincidence that I saw him."
" Yes... it was just like this, one day, I happened to look outside the windows, and he just happened to wander into my field of vision." Said Freya as she looked outside the windows
Suddenly her eyes widened.
"Sorry, I just got matters to attend to."
Freya suddenly stood up and walked away.
"What, what the heck is wrong with her? Wait, I need to pay her tab too?... What's wrong, Aiz?"
Besides Loki, A golden-haired girl was looking outside the windows at the same time as Freya does.
"...? Nothing."
What reflected on Freya's eyes at that time was a kid with white hair walking outside cheerfully.