I woke up early as usual and after grabbing a spare knife I had, I went to the backyard to train. It was still dark but the sun was beginning to rise, Aiz wasn't there so I decided to do some physical training before she came, I started doing push-ups and abs, after half an hour I thought that maybe Aiz was busy so that's why she didn't come so I picked my knive and I sparred against the air. After I finished I drank a potion and then I had breakfast, today, Raul and the others had work to do so I was going to go to the dungeon alone but just before I was about to leave Tione came running and grabbed me.
- Tione, what's going on??. - I asked.
- The captain has called for you so I'm taking you to him. - Tione replied smiling.
I knew I couldn't do anything, Tione is in love with Finn, so if Finn tells her to do something she will do it no matter what, I had been warned by Tiona to not resist if Tione was in a mission so I followed her advice and I didn't resist. Tione took me to Finn's office like I was dead weight and we entered the room.
- I brought him here captain!. - Tione said happily.
- Thank you Tione, you can leave now. - Finn replied.
Tione left a moan of satisfaction and she left the room.
I was sitting confused in the middle of the room.
- I'm sorry for that, I only told her to call you here.
- No problem, what is the matter?. - I asked. I had looked at the room and saw Loki and also Riveria and Gareth waiting.
- Ah yes, can you explain us what happened on the dungeon?
- Haven't Raul and Aki report it yet?
- Yes they have, but we wanted to hear your version of the story.
- oh... ok.
I told them what happened, after Raul was unconscious I distracted the monster while Lefiya unblocked the exit, but then I thought what would happen if the monster escaped and using my skill imbuing the knife I managed to kill it. Then I realized that I had broken the knife Loki gifted me so I apologized.
- Loki, I'm sorry, I broke the knife you gave me.
- Don't worry about it, but now that you mention it your equipment looks a little crappy.
She said the truth, I had been using the same equipment non-stop for a month and a half and it looked pretty bad.
- I will talk with Goibniu and ask him to make you new equipment.
- Emm, if it's not trouble I would like something from the same smith who forged this set of armor.
- May I ask why?
- mm... it's because this armor was really of use and It saved me a few times so I feel like I own him something.
- What's the name of this smith?
- It's from the Hephaestus familia, Welf, at least that's the signature.
- I'll accompany you, I had to talk with Tsubaki about the new weapons anyways so we'll go together. - Gareth said
- Thank you.
- Do you have any money to pay for the armor and weapons Bell?
- Well actually I was going to collect it today. - I said while scratching the back of my head embarrassed.
- Don't worry about it, take this. - Finn said while throwing me a bag of coins.
I counted them and there were 2 million valis on the bag.
- I...,I... I can't accept this.
- It's a reward.
- A reward for what?
- Thanks to you we doubled the benefit from that quest, and because your equipment got destroyed it's normal for us to give you money.
- But this is too much, I don't need this much.
- Go buy the equipment, we need you getting stronger, because we want you to accompany us in our next expedition.
- Really??
- Yes.
- Ok, I won't disappoint you.
- Well, Gareth, go with Bell.
Gareth nodded in agreement and we left the house.
We arrived at the headquarters of the Hephaestus familia, it was a really large building and it was because as Gareth told me, each smith has his own workshop so each one develops their own style. We entered the building and because Gareth was recognized instantly one receptionist took us to Hephaestus office.
The receptionist knocked on the door and a voice came from inside.
- Come in.
- Excuse us.
The door opened and in the room there was a goddess, she has a crimson eye and red hair reaching to the waist. She has a rather sharp face and slender body with an eyepatch over her right eye.
- Oh Gareth welcome, I'll call Tsubaki here.
- Thanks Hephaestus, but I also had something to ask you.
- What it is?
- Do you know a smith called Welf?
- Yes, why?
- Well, this youngling here bought his armor before and he liked it so he was hoping to get a new one made from him..
Hephaestus looked at me and I introduced myself.
- I'm Bell Cranel, nice to meet you.
- So you're the famous new record holder, Welf will be happy with that.
I was a bit embarrassed after hearing that comment.
- Please Miles, call Welf and Tsubaki here.
The receptionist bowed and left the room.
A woman and a man entered the room. The woman has brown skin, long black hair, red eyes, and wears an eyepatch over her left eye, similar to , however hers covers the opposite eye. She has a well endowed chest which she keeps in a sarashi, and wears a red hakama and sandals. The men has short, spiky red hair and blue eyes. He wears a dark blue undershirt with a black kimono over it tied with a belt, along with a blue scarf, tan pants, and long brown boots.
- Gareth, nice to see you here. - the woman said.
- It's a pleasure, Tsubaki. - Gareth replied.
- Who is this little rabbit here?. - Tsubaki asked while looking to me.
- He is a member of my familia, he wanted some equipment from him. - Gareth replied while looking at the boy.
- I won't make magic sw...
- He doesn't want magic swords, Welf. - Hephaestus interrupted him.
Welf, confused, directed his gaze towards me and saw the armor I was carrying in the box.
- So you were the one who bought "Pyonkichi".
- HAHAHAHAH!!! - Tsubaki bursted laughing - You might have some skill but your names are terrible.
- Welf, he has come here to ask for a new set of armor, so you know what to do next.
- Yes, Hephaestus. Would you come with me?. - Welf asked me.
I looked at Gareth who nodded and I stood up and I followed him.
- I'm Welf Crozzo, sorry for my behaviour early.
- There's no problem, I'm Bell Cranel.
- So, what do you want?
- I would like a new set of armor like the one you did before, and I would also want a new dagger, I need it to be a really good one because it will be my main weapon.
- ok, ok, Do you have any drop item or metals I could use?
- I don't.
- Ok, so I'll need to buy the materials, do you want anything else?
- If it's not too much to ask, can the armor had a few red colored details like the old one?
- There's no problem with that.
- Also, can the knife be black with some red details in the handle?
- That's also easy to do, but, may I ask you why?
- The knife I previously had was a gift from my goddess, and it helped me a lot but I destroyed it the last time I was at the dungeon so I would like something that looked like the old one.
- That's a good reason, ok I'll do it, I'll have to buy the materials and then forge the armor and knife so I'll take at least two days to finish it so please come back in two days.
- Ok, thank you very much. - I bowed my head and left the workshop to go back to the office, but Gareth was already waiting for me so I went with him and we left their headquarters.
Back at the twilight manor.
- Loki, can you update my status?
- Yes, let's go.
After a few minutes.
- NOOOOOO WAYYYYYYY!!!!!! YOU HAVE LEVELED UP AGAIN!!!
Excitement run through my veins, because of the battle against the amphisbaena I gained enough excelia to level up again, just a month after my first level up. This was something astonishing, the previous record was leveling up after a year but I had leveled up twice in two months, it made me really happy to see that I was getting closer to my goal but I didn't let it get into my head, there was still a long way to go to reach my goal and I needed to work even harder to complete it.
I received my new status from Loki.
Bell Cranel
Level 3
Strength: SS 1088 - I 0
Endurance: SS 1029 - I 0
Dexterity: I SS 1094 - I 0
Agility: SSS 1332 - I 0
Magic: SS 1015 - I 0
Luck: H
Abnormal resistance: H
Magic:
Firebolt: non chant magic that can be used quickly.
Skills:
Liaris freese: Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects correspond with the level of the user's feelings.
Argonaut (heroic desire): Allows a charge for an active action.
This was my newest status, after looking at it I left Loki's room and I went to take a bath.
Loki knocked at the door.
- Come in. Loki, I was going to call you I need to talk about the newest expedit...
- Bell leveled up again. - Loki interrupted Finn.
- I kinda expected that, after facing a floor boss by himself and coming on top is what you would expect, but it still amazes me what he is able to do.
- Sure that, he looks like he is the big thing, how lucky we were to find him.
- That's true, but that is something that can bring us trouble, from what I heard from Alicia and Aki, they said that when they go with Bell to the dungeon, he has mentioned that he felt like somebody was looking at him a couple of times. And my intuition says somebody is watching him.
- He is getting famous by now, and after announcing this level up it's probable that a lot of people will get interested in him, so we need to be a little more careful, even inside the familia some people are hostile to him.
- Yes, for now, until he gets his new equipment he won't leave the house except if someone goes with him, and it's probable that he would want to go with his friends so why don't we hold a little party for him to celebrate, this will help him get more comfortable around the familia
- That is not a bad idea, prepare that for tomorrow, I'll go inform the guild, next week denatus is going to be fun.
The next morning, shocking news came from the guild, the rabbit had leveled up again after beating a floor boss by himself.
Unaware of this, I woke up early as usual to do my morning training, Aiz didn't come again so I trained by myself, after the sunrise, I finished training and I went to have breakfast.
It looked like the news had already arrive at the twilight manor because when I entered the room, everyone directed their eyes to me, the people who had been with me during the request congratulate me, except Lefiya, who wasn't there, there were also a few people who looked at me with despicable eyes. I finished my breakfast and because I wasn't allowed to go out of the house because of the fuss my level up did, I went back training.
A few more people congratulated me like Tione and Tiona but the one I wanted to see never came. While I was resting I thought about it. I knew that I was still miles away from Aiz but just a few words from her would make me really happy. This month I've been training with her made us closer. I learnt that behind the strongest swordsman in Orario there was a kind girl, she was an airhead sometimes but it was fun to be with her, but I hadn't seen her since I came out of the dungeon, it got me a little worried but I knew nothing had happened to her because it would be the talk in the city if it did, I didn't knew the reason why but at the end I thought that she didn't want to train with me anymore, it hurt a little when I thought about that, but soon enough, I removed those thoughts out of my mind and I started training again.
When the sun was already gone, I had a shower and then I dressed up. Loki told me that we would go eat to the hostess of fertility, I was happy because that meant that I could see Ryuu and Syr.
And that's what we did, Finn, Gareth, Tiona, Tione, Raul, Alicia, Aki, Line and Loki came. I heard a lot people whispering when we walked to our destination, but it was normal, a few of the strongest adventurers in Orario. We reached our destination quickly, the waitresses came to greet me and they took us to a table. Then we ordered the food and a few people started drinking, while this was happening I asked something to Finn.
- Finn, where are Riveria and Aiz?
- They are in the dungeon, just after the news of your level up came Aiz decided to go to the dungeon and Riveria accompanied her.
- You wanted Aiz to be here ehhh??. - Said Tione trying to tease me.
- mmm well, she... she really helped me this month so I wanted to thank her - I said flustered - I'm also grateful to you and Tiona for training with me - I stood up and I bowed my head - I'm really thankful to all of you for the help you've given me.
- Come on, don't thank us, that's what a familia is for.
- Yee yes!!. - Tiona replied enthusiastic as always.
I felt something warm inside. "grampa, I've found a new family"