Chapter 73: Chapter 72
Aiz Wallenstein looked at the young adventurer, Bell Cranel, who was covered in the Minotaur's blood. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice calm and measured.
Bell Cranel felt his face flush with embarrassment. Without warning, he started to scream, the high-pitched sound echoing through the dimly lit corridors of the Dungeon. Panic evident in his eyes, he turned and ran away, his footsteps pounding against the stone floor as he fled from the Sword Princess.
Aiz watched, perplexed, as the boy disappeared around a corner. She had not expected such a reaction, as she had merely inquired about his well-being. Furrowing her brow, Aiz wondered what could have caused the young adventurer to react with such overwhelming fear and embarrassment.
David suddenly appeared, his invisibility fading as he grabbed Bell's shirt by the neck, preventing the young adventurer from fleeing. Lunamon materialized beside him, her large eyes filled with concern.
"Whoa, there, Bell," David said, his voice laced with amusement. "Where's the fire? Aiz was just asking if you were okay."
David dragged Bell back, the young adventurer protesting weakly. "Yo, Aiz. What a coincidence seeing you here."
Aiz regarded them with her usual calm demeanor. "Oh, David. You're also here."
David gestured to Bell. "I see you met our newest Familia member. This is Bell Cranel. Thanks for saving him."
Bell looked up at Aiz, his face flushed. "H-hello. It's nice to meet you."
Aiz nodded. "I'm glad I could be of assistance." She studied Bell for a moment, her pale gold eyes betraying a hint of curiosity.
Soon after, the other members of the Loki Familia arrived on the scene. Tiona Hiryute was the first to greet David, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"David! Fancy seeing you here," Tiona said, a wide grin spreading across her face. She then noticed Bell, who was still covered in the Minotaur's blood, and her expression shifted to one of concern. "And who's this?"
David gestured to Bell. "This is Bell Cranel, the newest member of the Hestia Familia. Bell, meet Tiona and the rest of the Loki Familia."
Tione Hiryute, Tiona's twin, approached with a more reserved demeanor. "It's nice to meet you, Bell. I'm Tione." She glanced at the bloodstains on his clothes, then turned to Aiz. "What happened here?"
Riveria Ljos Alf, the vice-captain of the Loki Familia, stepped forward, her brow furrowed. "Yes, I'd like to know that as well. Why is this young man covered in blood?"
Aiz spoke up, her voice calm and collected. "A Minotaur attacked him, but I was able to intervene in time."
Riveria's eyes widened slightly. "A Minotaur? That was one of ours. We must have missed it during our last sweep." She turned to Bell and bowed her head slightly. "Please accept my apologies. We should have been more diligent in our duties."
Bete Loga, a werewolf adventurer, snorted. "Tch, so this is the new guy, huh? Doesn't look like much to me."
Lefiya Viridis, a young elven mage, shot Bete a disapproving glare before turning to Bell. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bell. I'm Lefiya."
Bell, still feeling flustered, managed a small smile. "It's nice to meet all of you. Thank you, Aiz-san, for saving me."
David was happy to see that everyone was getting acquainted. "Hey, guys, why don't we head back to the surface so Bell can wash off all that blood?" he suggested, gesturing to the young adventurer's stained clothes.
David, Lunamon, and Bell returned to the surface, heading towards the Guild. Bell felt self-conscious, his clothes still stained with the Minotaur's blood.
"Come on, Bell, let's get you cleaned up," David said, guiding the young adventurer into the Guild's bathing facilities.
Bell gratefully accepted the chance to wash off the grime and blood. As he scrubbed himself clean, he couldn't help but think about the encounter with Aiz Wallenstein. Her grace and power had captivated him, and he found himself replaying the moment in his mind.
After finishing his bath, Bell rejoined David and Lunamon in the lobby of the Guild. The members of the Loki Familia were just preparing to depart.
Aiz caught Bell's gaze as she turned to leave. Their eyes met briefly, and Bell felt his face flush with embarrassment. Aiz offered him a small nod before following the rest of her Familia out the door.
David noticed the exchange and couldn't resist teasing his young companion. "Oooh, someone's got a crush," he said, nudging Bell playfully.
"W-what? No, it's not like that!" Bell stammered, his cheeks reddening further.
Lunamon looked between the two, her large eyes filled with curiosity. "A crush? What does that mean?"
David chuckled. "It means Bell here has taken a liking to a certain Sword Princess."
Bell shook his head vehemently. "No, no, it's not like that at all! I just... I was just grateful that she saved me, that's all."
David raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Bell."
Lunamon tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand. What is a 'crush'?"
David grinned and leaned in to whisper something in Lunamon's ear. The Digimon's eyes widened, and she looked at Bell with newfound understanding.
"Oh, I see," Lunamon said, nodding slowly. "That's... interesting."
Bell groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Can we please just go home?"
David chuckled and placed a hand on Bell's shoulder. "Alright, alright. Let's get you back to the Familia. I'm sure Hestia will be excited to hear about your little adventure."
As they made their way back to the Hestia Familia's headquarters, Bell couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Aiz Wallenstein.
David placed a hand on Bell's shoulder as they walked back to the Hestia Familia headquarters. "You know, Bell, if you want Aiz to notice you, you're going to need to get a lot stronger."
Bell felt his face flush with embarrassment at David's words. "W-what do you mean?" he stammered.
"Aiz is one of the top adventurers in Orario," David explained. "She only pays attention to the strong ones. If you want her to see you as more than just a newbie, you're going to have to work hard and prove yourself."
Bell considered David's words, his heart racing at the thought of Aiz Wallenstein taking notice of him. "I'll... I'll do my best," he said softly, his gaze fixed on the ground.
Lunamon looked up at Bell, her large eyes filled with concern. "Don't worry, Bell. We'll help you get stronger. Right, David?"
David grinned and ruffled Bell's hair. "That's the spirit, Bell. With the Hestia Familia behind you, there's no limit to how strong you can become."
Bell felt a sense of determination welling up inside him. He may have been outmatched by the Minotaur, but with the support of his new Familia, he was determined to prove himself worthy of Aiz's attention.
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I need suggestions of powers/items that can fix souls or completely heal a person. I also need suggestions for weapons that could kill immortals.
Suggest any abilities/items MC can have or characters that can join the Familia.
Give power stones to support this story.
To read advance chapters see my p@|tr|$0n Najicablitz