Chapter 10: Stirring Up Trouble
After listening to Bell's story, Hestia didn't seem to care much, thinking it had nothing to do with her Familia.
However, Shirou's expression became rather subtle.
Clearly, the current Shirou was no longer the clueless newcomer who once wandered aimlessly in the dungeon.
Now that he understood the general situation and structure of Orario, the labyrinth city, he could pretty much confirm it— The "Sword Demon" that Bell had mentioned… was most likely himself.
Those dungeon bosses that had suddenly vanished without a trace were, without a doubt, all eliminated by Shirou on his way back to the surface.
He hadn't expected his actions to cause such a massive stir, creating waves across all of Orario. This realization left him with mixed feelings.
But in the end, he buried all those thoughts in his heart and said nothing to Bell or Hestia.
He didn't want to bring too much trouble to Hestia, who had taken him in.
Thus, Bell's account was ultimately treated as one of the occasional urban legends from the dungeon and didn't cause any major upheaval within their Familia.
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Thanks to Shirou's large earnings from working the food stall, the Hestia Familia no longer had to eat dry bread and plain water that night—they could finally afford proper food.
After dinner, Hestia went to bed early.
Bell also prepared to rest, but Shirou stopped him.
"Bell, do you want to become stronger?"
Out of the blue, Shirou asked Bell this question.
Hearing him, Bell hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and responded, "Yeah, I want to get stronger. I want to become as strong as you, Shirou-nii!"
"But the way you are now, that's not possible."
"…!"
Shirou's blunt statement immediately made Bell look disheartened.
He knew all too well how weak he was. Despite having been an adventurer for a long time, he hadn't gotten any stronger and remained stuck in the upper levels of the dungeon.
Shirou, understanding Bell's thoughts, continued quietly, "Do you know why you can't get stronger?"
"I don't."
Bell shook his head. Of course he didn't know. If he did, he wouldn't still be stuck where he was.
Shirou didn't hold back, explaining plainly: "It's because you're afraid of fighting beings stronger than you. When you encounter someone stronger, you instinctively feel fear and retreat. If you're not even willing to stand up to those stronger than you, you'll never grow stronger."
Hearing Shirou's words, Bell suddenly had a revelation.
He realized that Shirou was right. When he faced strong enemies, he never thought about how to defeat them—he only thought about how to escape.
This cowardly mindset had prevented him from ever truly confronting powerful foes. Without those kinds of battles, there was no way for him to grow stronger.
"I see… Thank you, Shirou-nii."
Bell thanked Shirou sincerely, then went to rest, preparing for his next day in the dungeon.
But Shirou, watching Bell's back, didn't think the change would come easily.
After all, personality is innate. Bell had always been the type to shrink back when things got tough. It would be very difficult for him to shoulder true responsibility or change that core part of himself.
However, knowing where your mistake lies is always a hundred times better than not knowing at all. And if the right opportunity comes, perhaps even someone like Bell could undergo real change and growth.
Shirou himself had once been the same—he used to instinctively retreat when faced with opponents he couldn't beat, too afraid to fight.
It wasn't until Ainsworth kidnapped his sister, Miyu, and he was thrown into an impossible crisis— When someone he cared about was taken from him—that his will was truly ignited. He resolved to do whatever it took to defeat his enemies and finally achieved his own redemption.
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The Next Day
Bell, as usual, went to the dungeon to adventure.
Shirou and Hestia, on the other hand, went to work at Takemikazuchi's food stall.
Thanks to Shirou's cooking, which had made a big splash yesterday, a large crowd had gathered early outside the stall. When they saw Shirou arrive, they all wore excited expressions, determined to taste his food today no matter what.
Seeing the customers' enthusiasm, Takemikazuchi was pumped. He had prepared plenty of ingredients and even volunteered to assist Shirou himself, hoping to ease his burden.
As a result, the stall was packed with customers from the morning. It was absolutely booming—easily the flashiest and most popular spot on the entire commercial street.
This situation continued into the afternoon. The overwhelming success made Takemikazuchi and Hestia laugh with joy—they'd never seen this many customers in their lives.
Shirou, however, remained calm. He wasn't overly ecstatic about the overwhelming customer turnout. He simply enjoyed the experience of letting everyone savor delicious food.
But, happy moments rarely last.
As business resumed in the afternoon, a few unfamiliar men came to buy food from the stall.
After purchasing fried rice, they didn't leave. Instead, they suddenly shouted:
"Pah! What the hell—there's a bug in this fried rice!"
"This shady vendor actually put bugs in the food! Absolutely disgusting!"
"No morals at all—this is sickening!"
"…"
It was like a staged performance—these men's loud accusations instantly stirred up the crowd.
More adventurers gathered and joined in, demanding an explanation from Shirou.
Faced with this obvious act of sabotage, even Takemikazuchi and Hestia immediately realized what was happening.
But none of them had a good way to deal with it.
Clearly, the troublemakers had coordinated everything beforehand. There was no way they could produce solid evidence to prove their innocence.
In such situations, the more you try to prove you're innocent, the easier it is to fall into their trap.
However, doing nothing was just as wrong.
In business, reputation is everything. The heckling and accusations from the adventurers were starting to shake the confidence of many customers. Even those who were originally interested in Shirou's food were now second-guessing whether they should buy it.
Just as the situation grew increasingly unfavorable— And Takemikazuchi and Shirou were even considering using force to resolve things— A voice suddenly rang out:
"Huh? Aren't you guys from the Soma Familia?"
The speaker was a red-haired woman with narrow eyes and a flat chest—giving off the vibe of a sly fox.
Beside her stood a girl with long golden hair and a longsword at her waist, exuding a powerful, unspoken aura.
As soon as the red-haired woman appeared, she questioned the troublemakers sharply, her tone full of implication.
The moment she mentioned "Soma Familia," The public opinion—previously misled by the hecklers—immediately flipped.
Because when it came to the Soma Familia… Most people in Orario felt nothing but disgust.