The expedition to slay Medusa had been formally announced, but little progress has been made in regards to its preparation. Turmoil was flowing into Orario, as Medusa's agents tried to sow chaos and sabotage the expedition. The parasite that had been planted inside Hestia was also still out there. There were also whispers of corruption in the Guild and the malign influence of a certain new god.
The leader of the upcoming expedition was also troubled. Riveria could not stop thinking about Bell. She had always been fascinated by him, but had never been obsessed with him before. The more time she spent with him, the deeper their bond grew. She then realized just how little she knew about Bell and his history.
She was determined to uncover the secrets of his past. She began by paying a visit to the daughter of her former chamberlain, who was also Bell's current Guild advisor, Eina.
"Eina, do you have a moment? I would like to speak with you."
"Riveria... Okay, sure. Please wait for me outside of the office."
"...Excuse me."
Riveria waited for Eina, until she was invited into the office. They took their seats in her private room in the back of the Guild branch. They both began to sip from a hot cup of tea on a saucer.
"What did you want to talk about, Riveria?"
"About the young adventurer you're responsible for: Bell Cranel."
Eina's expression changed ever so slightly the moment he was mentioned.
"Bell...? What about him?"
"I would like to know more about him. Where he is from, what his upbringing was like, everything, especially before he arrived in this city. I'd like to know about his family as well."
"Um... Why are you interested in Bell...?"
"That is not information I'm obligated to share."
"...Fine. You're being suspicious."
It was rare for Eina to speak that way to her friends.
"You're quite interested in the boy yourself, are you not, Eina?"
"...Y-you can tell?!"
Eina had lost her temper. Riveria raised an eyebrow as the half-elf in front of her turned a light shade of pink and hid her face behind the documents in her hand.
"I'd like to know what it was about him that captured your interest."
"H-how could I not be interested in someone like him?! He's just too abnormal! Even among the adventurers in the city, there's no one who makes you want to know more like he does!"
"I agree. He is not like other people."
Bell's kind, honest personality, his earnest effort, and his disarming innocence had made quite an impression on Riveria.
"If you're after him, then I won't give up on him!"
"Calm yourself, Eina. I'm not after him."
Riveria gently laughed off Eina's accusation and watched her close friend seethe with jealousy.
"W-well, Riveria? Why are you interested in him?"
"I'm sure you've heard. He carries a mighty burden. The fate of the entire world will soon rest on his shoulders."
"Riveria, I must warn you that it isn't safe around the Guild anymore. I'm sure we've been infiltrated by Medusa's spies."
A dubious, unheard of god and his familia had appeared out of nowhere and was gradually taking over the Guild. A god who calls himself Kleptos. Riveria felt certain that that was not his real name.
"I'm well aware of the situation, which makes this all the more important." Riveria assured her. "Time is not on our side, Eina. If I am going to protect Bell Cranel, I must learn everything I can about him before his adversaries do."
Riveria explained everything to her friend in detail.
Eina shifted her glasses and pondered the elf's words for a moment.
"You've been rather concerned with Bell's safety lately. It's a complete turnaround from what I'm used to seeing from you. Almost as if you were his mother or something."
Eina tried to provoke Riveria by smiling and pushing her glasses up against the frame.
"If that was a joke, it was not very funny."
"Sorry, sorry."
Riveria refused to return Eina's smile. Eina composed herself and crossed her legs.
"So, tell me what you know about him. Leave nothing out, even if it seems trivial."
"Very well. Although the information you seek is not easy to come by."
Eina stood up and grabbed several files from the bookcase behind her desk. Riveria opened them, her long fingers turning the pages. She could tell immediately that Bell's history had been thoroughly investigated, his background researched.
"He was born in a village far from here in the northwest of the continent."
"I knew that."
"His grandfather raised him."
Riveria's body moved on its own when she heard the word grandfather.
"You mean to tell me that his parents...?"
"Yes. They passed away shortly after he was born."
"Is anything known about his parents?"
"Very little is known about them. They remain shrouded in mystery. There's nothing unusual about that. Adventurers from small towns and villages often start completely anonymous lives in this city."
Eina gave her a sharp look over the rim of her glasses. Riveria looked away from the light-green eyes of her friend. She was silent for a moment before shifting her focus back to the file.
"What happened to his grandfather?"
"Presumed dead. The details we have on Bell's past is sketchy at best. But for now, his grandfather is the only relative he ever mentions."
Eina recommended that Riveria should talk to the owner of the Hostess of Fertility, as the staff there knew him well. That was Riveria's next destination.
The jade-haired elf slipped inside the busy tavern, making her way to a gray-haired dwarven woman wiping down the bar.
"Mia Grand, correct? I need to ask you about one of your patrons. A boy named Bell Cranel."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "Aye, I know the lad. He's a good kid. Always polite, helps out when he can. But I don't make a habit of gossiping about my customers." She fixed Riveria with a stern look. "Even to a high-class lady like yourself."
Riveria sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. She leaned in, lowering her voice. "Please. It's important. I'm not asking for idle gossip. I'm trying to understand who he really is."
The dwarven woman studied her for a long moment before relenting. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know. But it ain't much." She spoke of Bell's earnest nature, his drive to become a hero. But there was nothing to explain his impossible growth or the mysteries that seemed to surround him.
Riveria's next stop was the Hestia Familia's home, Hearthstone Manor. She knocked on the door, which was answered by a young man with fiery red hair. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Bell Cranel. Is he here?"
The boy shook his head. "Sorry, Miss Elf, but he ain't. He left about an hour ago." Riveria thanked him and turned to leave, but the boy's voice stopped her. "Can I ask you something, Miss Elf?"
She nodded and the boy continued. "Bell...he's doing well, isn't he? He hasn't gotten himself into trouble?" Riveria could hear the genuine concern in his voice, and it warmed her heart to know that Bell had people who truly cared for him.
"It's not so much him getting himself into trouble," she said. "But that trouble always seems to find him. Please be assured that I will do everything in my power to protect him."
The boy looked relieved.
"May I ask a question of my own?" said Riveria. "Do you know where Bell Cranel came from? Before he joined your familia?"
The boy's relief turned to confusion, and he scratched his head. "Eh? No, I don't know much about him. The goddess might know, though."
"I see. Thank you for your time." Riveria made her way back into the street, thinking over what she'd learned so far. Neither the dwarven woman nor the Hestia Familia had anything of interest to add.
Riveria continued her inquiry, asking around among Bell's other friends and acquaintances. Piece by piece a picture began to form, but it was still maddeningly incomplete. Riveria tapped a finger against her lips, with one eye closed, deep in thought as she walked the darkening streets. There was one commonality, one name that kept coming up no matter who she asked.
Hermes. The messenger god seemed to be the key. In every incident with Bell Cranel, Hermes always seemed to be involved. But why? And what was his connection to the boy? Riveria had to know. And that meant finding Hermes.
One way or another, she would get some answers from the elusive deity.
Riveria set her jaw, resolving to pay the divine trickster a visit.
It was a few days after her talk with the elven maid when Riveria finally found Hermes. The messenger god was in one of his favorite haunts. A pub in the Pleasure Quarter, in the heart of the city's red-light district.
The young, lethargic bartender didn't look up as Riveria strode into the establishment. "You. Messenger god. I need to speak with you." Her voice was low, her eyes dangerous as she glared at Hermes.
The deity looked up, raising an eyebrow at her tone. "Riveria? Whatever is the matter, my dear elf? You seem upset." Riveria's hand clenched into a fist.
"Don't play coy with me, you utter, utter clown of a god. I know you're involved with Bell Cranel."
The god held up his hands in mock surrender, a sly grin playing across his lips. "My dearest Riveria, whatever do you mean? Bell is just a simple adventurer, nothing more."
"Enough games," Riveria snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Do not try me. You know far more than you're letting on. Who is he really? Where is his family? I know you have all the answers."
Hermes' smile faded, replaced by an uncharacteristically serious expression. "Bell has no family. At least, none that he knows of."
The elf's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. The boy is an orphan, raised by his grandfather in a remote village. That's all there is to it."
Riveria could sense there was more to the story. "That can't be the whole truth. What are you not telling me?"
Hermes sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're not going to let this go, are you? Very well." He took a sip of his drink before continuing. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and cryptic. "Have you ever noticed the familial resemblance?"
Riveria blinked, taken aback. "What resemblance? To whom?"
"To an old friend of yours from the Great Feud."
"You're speaking in riddles," Riveria said impatiently.
Hermes smirked, as if he'd made a joke only he understood.
"That's all I can say. Draw your own conclusions, Riveria. But be careful. Some truths are better left buried."
With that cryptic statement, Hermes turned to leave. But before he could disappear into the shadows, Riveria called out to him once more.
"Hermes, wait." The god paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Why are you telling me this? Why now?"
A knowing smirk played across Hermes' lips. "Because, my dear Riveria, I think you're the only one who can unravel this mystery. And because..." He trailed off, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"You really do care for him, don't you?"
Riveria felt her cheeks flush, a mix of embarrassment and indignation rising in her chest. "I... I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, trying to regain her composure. "My interest in Bell Cranel is purely academic. Nothing more."
Hermes chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course. Whatever you say." He gave her a knowing wink. "But remember, Riveria, the heart wants what it wants. The way you've been digging into his past. That's not just idle curiosity. Nor is it a bad thing. I think you too look good together, personally. By the way, I know about your little kiss. It made Loki awfully jealous."
The elf opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her lips. Was Hermes right? Did her interest in Bell go beyond simple fascination with his abilities? She thought back to the way her heart seemed to flutter when he smiled at her. The way she found herself thinking about him even when she should be focusing on her duties.
No. No, it couldn't be. She was Riveria Ljos Alf, the stoic and aloof mage of Loki Familia. She didn't have time for such frivolous emotions. And yet...
Hermes' voice cut through her thoughts. "Don't overthink it, Riveria. Just follow your heart. It'll be yours, and everyone else's, salvation." With that, he melted into the shadows, leaving the elf alone with her swirling thoughts and conflicted feelings.
Riveria stood there for a long moment, trying to make sense of it all. Hermes' words echoed in her mind, taunting her with the possibility of something she'd never dared to consider. Could she really be falling for Bell Cranel? And if so, what did that mean for her quest to uncover his secrets?
She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. No, she couldn't afford to be distracted by such things. She had a mission, a purpose. She would find out the truth about Bell, no matter the cost. Even if it meant confronting the growing feelings she couldn't quite seem to shake.
Riveria's mind whirled, trying to piece together the clues. A resemblance to someone... someone connected to Bell's true identity. But who? She wracked her brain, thinking back to all the faces she'd seen during the Great Feud.
And then it hit her, a memory surfacing from years ago. A woman with silver hair and mismatched eyes, her features so similar to Bell's it was uncanny.
Alfia. The name whispered through Riveria's mind, sending a chill down her spine. Could it be? Could Bell really be connected to the infamous mage of the Hera Familia?
Riveria stood frozen, her mind reeling with the implications. If Bell was truly related to Alfia, then Hermes was hiding more than just his past. He was hiding his very identity itself. And if that was the case, then what other secrets was he keeping?
Riveria shook herself, pushing aside her racing thoughts. She couldn't jump to conclusions, not without more evidence. She needed to dig deeper, to uncover the truth behind Bell's origins.
The elf turned on her heel and strode out of the pub, her face set with grim determination. She would find answers, no matter what it took. She had to know the truth about the boy who had stolen her heart. She pored over old records, spoke with those who had known the enigmatic mage,. Slowly, a picture began to emerge.
Alfia had a sister, a woman named Meteria who had disappeared around the time of Bell's birth. Could she be the key? Had she somehow survived, hidden away with her child?