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One night, after Alfia returned from Bell's training—Mika quietly left the Yahweh Familia manor, heading towards the Hestia Familia home, located nearby.
While many members of the allied Familias lived within the Yahweh manor, they also maintained their own separate residences.
And Hestia, being a newly descended Goddess, had been granted her home by Yahweh.
Mika swiftly navigated the darkened streets, reaching the Hestia Familia home.
Although it was his first time visiting, it was a familiar place, the future home of Bell Cranel, a place he knew well from the Danmachi story.
He entered the building undetected and found Bell practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard below.
While Alfia was pleased with Bell's progress, she never showed it, her training methods incredibly demanding.
Therefore, Bell, constantly striving to meet her expectations, felt inadequate, his slow progress a constant source of frustration.
He remembered his struggles with the Breath Styles and Body Enhancement Techniques Mika had introduced, his inability to master them quickly.
He wanted to earn his mentor's praise.
He wanted to be a hero.
And a true hero shouldn't struggle with basic training exercises.
Therefore, he continued to push himself, even after returning to the Hestia Familia home, his desire to become a hero fueling his every move, until, finally, exhausted, he collapsed against a wall, taking a long drink from his water bottle.
"I wish I could improve faster," Bell sighed.
"Clap, clap, clap."
A sudden sound startled him.
Thinking it was one of his seniors, he quickly stood up, only to see an unfamiliar face.
It wasn't anyone from the Hestia Familia; he was certain.
He had been in Orario for over two weeks now and was familiar with all his Familia members.
However, while he didn't recognize the newcomer, he didn't raise the alarm.
After all, the Hestia Familia was part of an alliance, essentially a branch of the Yahweh Familia.
Encountering members from other Familias wasn't unusual, especially those from the Hephaestus Familia.
Before Hestia established her own Familia, its current members had all belonged to the Hephaestus Familia. And Hestia and Hephaestus were close friends. Therefore, interactions between their Familias were common.
"Impressive dedication. It seems my judgment wasn't mistaken," the newcomer said with a smile.
Bell, hearing his words, was puzzled. However, he remained respectful.
"And you are…?" As a new recruit, he was always polite to his seniors, eager to learn and earn their approval. Combined with his naturally friendly nature, he had quickly become the Familia's…mascot.
"Me? I'm Mika. You've likely heard of me."
"Commander Mika!" Bell's eyes widened, his voice rising slightly as his body tensed.
Mika, after all, was a legend, one of Orario's strongest.
"Shh! Keep your voice down. I don't want to attract attention."
"Why not?" Bell whispered, lowering his voice despite his curiosity.
"I have something to discuss with you." Mika patted Bell on the shoulder, then sat down beside him, patting the spot where Bell had been resting earlier.
Bell sat down, his heart pounding nervously.
"Bell, I've known about you for quite some time—In fact, even if you hadn't met Hestia, I would have guided you to the Yahweh Familia alliance, to the Hestia Familia," Mika said, looking at the boy's anxious expression.
Of the Familias within the alliance, besides the Yahweh Familia itself, only the Hestia Familia was suitable for Bell.
The Astraea Familia was all-female, and the Hephaestus Familia focused on crafting. He had agreed to Hephaestus's request to bring Hestia into their alliance precisely for this moment, for Bell's arrival. He wouldn't allow this protagonist, this destined hero, to join any other Familia.
Under normal circumstances, if Bell hadn't joined Hestia—he would likely have ended up in the Freya Familia—an outcome neither Mika nor Alfia would have tolerated—It would have led to a bloodbath.
"W-What? Why?" Bell asked, stunned.
"Bell, years ago, Orario's strongest Familias weren't Yahweh, Freya, or Loki, but two even greater powers: the Zeus and Hera Familias. They ruled Orario for centuries—their strength far surpassing anything we see today."
"Stronger than now?"
"Then what happened to them?" Bell, captivated by his story, was eager to learn more.
"They were incredibly powerful. They had a Level 9 and a Level 8 adventurer, with dozens at Level 7. Compare that to Orario now, with only two Level 7s—myself and Ottar. The difference is significant. As for what happened to them…they were all killed during an expedition to slay the Black Dragon."
——
The Black Dragon—one of the three Great Quests, the only one remaining.
The other two—the Leviathan and the Behemoth—had been slain by the Hera and Zeus Familias years ago, achieving legendary victories.
However, against the Black Dragon, they had failed utterly.
And it was during that expedition that Mika's parents had perished. He had vowed to slay the beast himself, a feat he could now easily accomplish.
But he hesitated. Simply obliterating it—didn't seem right.
The Black Dragon, the monster that had single-handedly destroyed Orario's strongest Familia, was a legendary figure.
And with the other two Great Quests already completed, slaying the Black Dragon would be an even more momentous event, a Heroic tale etched in Orario's history.
Mika wanted to make that tale even more epic.
He didn't want to simply kill the Dragon, making it seem as if the current generation had effortlessly surpassed the heroes of the past—including his own parents.
He wanted to honor their legacy, to show that they, too, had been heroes.
Therefore, the Black Dragon's defeat had to be a grand, collaborative effort.
"You were saying—we're related?" Bell asked, pulling Mika from his thoughts. He had been captivated by the story and had almost forgotten their earlier conversation.
"Indeed. Our connection—it's related to those two Familias. We're both descendants of the Hera Familia."
"Descendants of the Hera Familia?! We are?" Bell stood up abruptly, stunned.
Bell knew little about his parents. He had been raised by his grandfather. This sudden revelation, this connection to his past, overwhelmed him.
"Calm down." Mika's gentle voice and a pat on the shoulder calmed him.
"You mentioned being raised by your grandfather, didn't you?"
"Yes. But he's…gone now. That's why I came to Orario."
"Hahaha!" Mika chuckled. "Bell, that old man tricked you. Your 'grandfather' was Zeus himself. He's not dead."
"Not dead?! But…you said we're descendants of the Hera Familia. And he was…Zeus?" Bell's mind reeled, trying to reconcile these conflicting statements.
"It's the same thing. The Zeus and Hera Familias were incredibly close. I've heard rumors about their respective Gods having a rather unique relationship. The difference is that my parents were both members of the Hera Familia, while your father was from the Zeus Familia, and your mother from the Hera Familia. Therefore, while I am a descendant of the Hera Familia, you are a descendant of both the Hera and Zeus Familias. So technically, we're both descendants of the Hera Familia."
"Wait…let me process this…" Bell raised his hand, needing a moment to absorb this information.
Mika smiled and remained silent, giving him time to collect his thoughts. After all, thinking, analyzing, and strategizing were essential skills for an adventurer. True mastery of one's power required more than just brute force.
"So—my parents also died during that expedition to slay the Black Dragon?" Bell finally asked.
"I'm not sure about your father, but your mother died from an illness. She had been frail since birth, a beloved member of the Hera Familia."
"I've also heard it was—unexpected, her marrying your father. He wasn't a combatant, just a supporter, known for his speed."
"I see…" A wistful smile touched Bell's lips as he listened to Mika's story about his parents. While they hadn't raised him, it wasn't because they didn't want to. They had been taken from him, their lives cut short.
"Commander Mika, could you—tell me more about them?"
"Don't be so formal. Call me Mika," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. They were practically the same age; the casual address felt more natural.
Bell hesitated, then said softly, "Mika…"
He had been concerned about being disrespectful; Mika, after all, was a legend, a powerful hero. But Mika's warm smile reassured him.
"That's better," Mika said with a grin, patting his back. "However, I don't know much about your parents."
Mika truly didn't.
Alfia had always been incredibly private about her past. However, he was confident she would eventually open up to him...
"Oh…" Bell was slightly disappointed, though not surprised.
Based on the Guild's records, Mika was only a few years older than him. He wouldn't have known much about the Zeus and Hera Familias.
Seeing his dejected expression, Mika smiled.
"However, you do have a source of information about your parents."
"Really? Who?" Bell's eyes lit up with hope.
"Your mentor, of course."
"You mean… Laffia?"
Laffia was the alias Alfia had chosen for herself in Orario.
Her true name was too well-known.
As for why she had chosen "Laffia" specifically—it was because of her research into the other worlds.
In the world with Angels, the Abrahamic God Yahweh had powerful Archangels serving Her: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.
And since their Familia already had a Mika (Michael) and a Gabriel, she had chosen the name Laffia (Raphael) for herself.
"Yes, Laffia. Do you know why I chose her to be your mentor?"
"Why?" Bell was curious.
"Because she was incredibly close to your mother. She and your aunt, Alfia, were known as the Twin Stars of the Hera Familia. They were among Orario's strongest adventurers—" Mika said, fabricating a story.
"Laffia was that strong?"
"Wait," Bell said, suddenly remembering Mika's earlier words. "Did you say my aunt?"
"Yes, you have an aunt, a warrior so powerful that even the Gods were in awe of her: Alfia, The Silence."
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