Foreword

Another breather story from me.

I've had this idea for quite a while now and was having trouble deciding if I were to really write this and publish it.

I was really troubled thinking about my decision.

But after a few days, I finally decided.

Prologue

"Well now. This sure looks like an interesting place."

A figure wearing a dark-yellow coat stood in front of the gate to Orario observing the structure of the outermost part of the so-called 'center of the world.'

"Center of the world, was it?" The figure released an amused scoff. "What an arrogant title that is."

Walking up towards the gate, the figure grabbed the attention of the people who were standing guard just under the arch of the gate. With a raised of their hand, they gestured towards the figure signalling for her to stop.

"Sorry." The guard spoke. "But we need you to take off the hood of your coat in order for us to get a clear view of your face."

"Is that so?" The figure asked amused.

"Yes. It is the minimum security requirement."

"I understand then."

The figure with swift hand movements grabbed the hood of her coat and pulled it back to reveal her face. Once her face was no longer obscured by the hood, all the guards present, without any exception, both genders, felt their face grow warm and their cheeks flused leaving their staring at the figure with wide eyes and mouth agaped.

"So?" The figure spoke breaking the silence of the guards.

"U-um... Yes?" One of the guards awkwardly tried to respond.

"Am I cleared or something?" The figure asked with a tilt of her head.

"Y-yes!" A female guard answered as she stuttered all over her words. "M-may we ask what y-your reason for visit in O-Orario is?"

"I'm looking for someone important for me." The figure answered as we walked a bit closer towards the guard who asked. "I've learned that there is a good chance that he's here."

"I-I see!" The female guard hastily replied unable to control her shaking heart as the figure was merely a foot away from her. "Is he an adventurer?"

"I'm not certain, but there's chance." The figure responded. "Can you recommend a place where I can ask for information about the residents here?"

"Well, if he's really an adventurer then the guild would be a good place to ask." The guard answered as she cupped her chin with her hand. "Though the guild is quite strict regarding giving away the personal information of adventurers, so maybe going to the Hostess of Fertility would be better."

"Hostess of Fertility?"

"Yes." The guard nodded as she further went into details. "It's a restaurant that most residents in Orario know and go to. Most adventurers, if not all, go there in order to eat and rest."

"I see." The figure nodded as she listened and then smiled. "Thank you very much."

"Then we should not use up more of your time here longer." The guards stepped aside and gestured their hands towards the gate. "Please enjoy your stay here in Orario and we hope you find the person you're looking for."

"Why thank you." The figure replied while smiling as she took a few steps towards the interior of the gate. Just before she could truly enter Orario, she stopped in her tracks and turned back and looked at the female guard. "Not only are you a cute woman, but you're also well-mannered."

With that final remark, the figure left leaving the female guard blushing like a fresh tomato.

"Alright!"

A goddess with light red hair and red eyes exclaimed as she raised her mug that was filled with beer.

"Another good day for the Loki familia!"

She proposed a toast which the members of her familia who were sitting with her accepted full of passion. They were currently taking the majority of the left side of the interior of the Hostess of Fertility celebrating. As one of the strongest familias in Orario currently, they have both the power and health to do so extravagantly.

"Come now, Aiz-tan!" Loki leaned over to her side and put an arm around a girl with long blonde hair. "Drink up! You need to enjoy!"

"I decline." Aiz rejected the offer pushing Loki's face away from her as the goddess tried to rub her cheek against hers.

"Riveria!" Loki leaned to the other side wrapping her arms around the waist of the green haired high-elf sitting besides her tightly. "Aiz-tan is so cold towards me!"

"Perhaps if you mind where your hands usually lands on, she'll be more kinder to you!" Riveria raised her left arm and elbowed the goddess' back and made her let go dropping on the floor.

"A-all of you are too cruel..." Loki complained but soon smiled creepily. "I like it!"

"Ugh." Riveria turned away from Loki and continued on eating the bowl of salad that she was currently mixing with spices.

"Loki!" A gray haired male werewolf called the goddess while raising up his mug. "Turn it up!"

Hearing the cheer from the werewolf, Loki hastily stood up, poured more liquor into her mug and then raised it high up.

"That's it Bete!" Loki hit Bete's mug with her own and they both proceeded to drink from the mug without taking a breath.

"Well, they're certainly enjoying themselves." A blonde haired pallum commented as he observed Bete and Loki.

"How about we toast as well, captain?" A long haired amazoness inched closer towards the pallum while holding a mug of beer.

"Hey!" Another amazoness with similar looks to the other one called out as she raised a mug of her own. "Let me in on this fun!"

An hour has passed and the Loki familia's party went on.

The atmosphere was lively and very noisy, but not unwelcome.

Even the other customers enjoyed themselves with the Loki familia's energy serving as a good background to enjoy their stay as they ate and/or drink to themselves.

However, soon the lively atmosphere had come to an immediate halt as a figure took a step in.

The first ones to notice the figure's presence was the first-class adventurers from the Loki familia. Finn, Aiz, Riveria, and Bete actually felt something just before the figure opened the door and took a step inside.

All heads were drawn towards the figure standing just in front of the door.

The figure wore a hooded dark yellow coat over that covered her body all the way down to her knees.

With haste, a female cat people with short black hair and furry ears approached the figure while hugging a metallic tray up to her chest. The name 'Chloe' was printed on a nametag pinned to the strap of her apron.

"What would you like-nya?" Chloe asked the figure with a somewhat wary tone but managed to make her voice come out friendly.

"My, aren't you cute one." The figure spoke as she gently touched the waitress' cheek.

"Hu-w-what!?" Chloe immediately felt her spine shiver and her body froze. Her cheeks flushed hot as she took a few steps back.

"Aw." The figure produced a sound that implied she was disappointed by the sudden increase in distance between her and the waitress. "Did I scare you?"

"Hey." A voice called out.

The figure turned her head towards the direction where the voice originated from and saw a female dwarf with brown eyes and long brown hair with an impressive body build.

"Touching my girls inappropriately is not allowed." The dwarf warned.

"Is that so? My girls?" The figure tilted her head. "Are you the owner of this establishment?"

The female dwarf merely nodded in response while still maintaining the glare she directed towards the figure.

"Sorry then." The figure bowed in apology. "That was not my intention."

Seeing the figure bow, the female dwarf showed a satisfied smile.

"It's fine." She stated. "It's just that some adventurers that come here has a little trouble keeping their hands to themselves."

"Surely you take care of them afterwards right?" The figure commented in an amused tone.

"Haha!" The female dwarf chuckled. "Indeed, indeed."

The figure then sat on one of the stool that was in front of the bar where the female dwarf stood behind to. From there the figure could see a part of the kitchen where several meals were being cooked.

"What would you want?" A waitress with the name 'Syr' printed on her nametag approached the figure as she handed a menu.

"A yes." The figure took a look at the menu as she cupped her chin with her hand that wasn't holding the menu. After a minute in thought, she nodded and turned to Syr. "I'll have the chicken platter and a mug of beer please. Maybe I'll order more later."

The figure closed the menu and handed it back to Syr which the waitress accepted gratefully and proceeded to head into the kitchen.

"She seems quite mysterious." Finn commented as she observed the figure subtly from the corner of his eys.

"I agree." Riveria nodded as she kept stealing glances from her meal to the figure. "I think this is the first time I've seen her. Not that we can see her face from here."

While the figure at first didn't seem someone to be dangerous or anything, for the adventurers whom had sharper senses, they felt something regarding the figure. They didn't exactly know why, but their attention were kept being turned towards the figure whether they were conscious about it or not.

"Ha?" Bete released a low growl. "D-don't tell me that you guys are scared of one unknown person?"

The other members of the Loki familia looked at Bete as they heard the demeaning tone of voice of the werewolf, but merely shook their head at him for he had clearly drank more than he can handle.

He looked really red and was stumbling a bit over his words.

Aiz turned her sights on Loki as she noticed that the goddess was silent and staring right at the figure.

"Something wrong, Loki?" Aiz asked curious at the expression on Loki's face.

"I might not have Freya's discerning eye, I can somewhat tell if a person is something special or not." While Loki was acting like she was drunk earlier, her entire had vanished as she stared at the figure with a complicated expression written all over her face.

"So even Loki can feel something from the figure?" The short-haired amazoness commented.

"I may act like it from time to time, but I'm no fool, Tiona." Loki responded a bit irritated. "What say you, Tione?"

"That figure definitely is an attention-catcher." The amazoness with the longer hair replied as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Soon, the entire Loki familia stopped with their partying and had fallen into uneasy silence as they continued to watched over the figure from the corner of her eyes. The atmosphere between the figure and Mia and her waitress had taken a drastic turn and they could only observed what was happening in complete silence.

However, soon the silence was broken by Loki as she suddenly slammed her hands on the table as she stood up from her seat and produced an "ooohh" sound from her mouth.

Her familia members shifted their sights on the goddess confused then shifted their gaze back at the figure and noticed that the figure had taken off her hood.

"A beauty!" Loki exclaimed.

"Excuse me, miss?" The figure called out to the dwarf woman who were the owner of the establishment.

"Mia Grand." The dwarf replied as she stopped in front of the woman. "Most adventurers call me mama Mia or just Mia-san."

"I see. Then Mia-san?"

"What is it?"

"I've heard from the city guard that this is a place where many adventurers frequent to."

"That is correct." Mia replied with a slight nod.

"I'm looking for someone, if my guess is right he should be an adventurer."

"Oh?" Mia raised a brow as she was amused by the words said by the figure. "He? A lover of yours?"

"Oh no." The figure waved her hands as she released a chuckle. "Just someone important to me and owe an apology to."

"I see." Mia swept her glance across the interior of her restaurant as she noticed that the attention of everyone, without any exception, has been turned towards to them. Or to be more precise; at the figure.

She couldn't blame them really. The figure was enigma and she was producing a mysterious aura around her.

"So you would like to ask about this person?"

"Yes."

"Then the name of this person is?"

"Bell Cranel."

Mia's eyes widened after hearing the name leave the mouth of the figure. It was the name of a person she knew a bit well. A person that was well-liked by the girls in her restaurant.

A boy with a warm heart and kind-hearted nature.

The waitresses were near Mia and the figure and heard the conversation between the two. After hearing the name of Bell Cranel from the figure, the disposition of the waitresses especially Syr and quiet elf waitress changed into a wary one.

It was as if they were preparing to attack.

"Why do you want to know of him?"

"Oh! Then do you know him?" The figure clasped her hands together and replied in an excited tone.

"I do. But first-"

Mia shifted her gaze from the waitresses then to the figure and back. She had been with the girls quite a long time, that is why she can tell even the slightest change in the emotions of the girls.

"I'm sorry, but can you remove your hood." Mia demanded. "I need to check first if you're anyone suspicious."

"Of course." The figure then reached for the hem of her coat and shifted her body and slowly took of her coat.

As the figure revealed her face, the entirety of the people, without any exception regardless of gender, felt their faces flush hot as they felt enthralled by the figure's now visible face.

The figure was a beautiful woman who seemed to be in her late-twenties or early-thirties of age with a slim and firm build.

She had long straight silky snow-white hair that seemed as if it glowed under the lights. She had sharp eyes that had the striking color of scarlet red. Her features were sharp and elegant yet carried a feeling of authority. . She wore a black tank top shirt and a black skirt that reached just above her knees paired with dark brown leather boots.

"Satisfied?" The woman spoke as she looked at Mia expecting for an answer from her.

However, before Mia could even give out a reply of her own, a voice erupted which grabbed the attention of everyone inside.

"A beauty!"

Both Mia and the woman turned their gazes towards the origin of the voice which was the goddess of mischief, Loki.

"Who is that young lady over there?" The woman asked without turning away from the goddess.

"That is the goddess of mischief Loki." Mia answered.

"Loki?"

"Yes. Currently, her familia is considered to be one of the strongest in Orario."

"I see, I see." The woman replied as she cupped her chin. "Then she should know about most adventurers, yes?"

"Could be."

"Alright then."

Without waiting for a response from the owner of the restaurant, the woman stood up and walked over to the table where the Loki familia were located.

"She's walking over here." Aiz commented.

"Yeah, because Loki over here just couldn't keep her mouth to herself." Riveria complained.

"Well, well. We were curious about her." Finn stated as she followed the figure with his eyes. "So maybe we can learn a bit about her."

As they were whispering to each other, the woman finally reached their table and stopped just a few feet away from them. Seeing her upclose had them helplessly fail to contain the ever growing flushing of their cheeks.

"Goddess Loki?" The woman looked at Loki which was looking back at her with eyes filled with attraction.

"Y-yes, that's me!" Loki mentally slapped herself for uncharacteristically stuttering over her words.

"I heard that you lead one of the strongest familia here in Orario." The woman stated with a small smile on her lips.

"That is correct!" Loki replied with a proud tone in her voice and a smug look on her face as she stood up and crossed her arms together. "Want to join our familia?"

"Thanks for the offer, but that's really not what I'm here for." The woman gently rejected the offer.

The members of the Loki familia as well as the other people present stared at the woman with wide eyes. Being offered to joing in one of the strongest familia in Orario by the goddess herself was a once in a lifetime oportunity for adventurers.

Yet here was a woman who swiftly declined the offer with a smile on her face.

"You've got some nerve to reject the offer right at our face, huh?" Bete growled as he tried to stand up but the amazoness twin grabbed his shirt and pulled him back to his seat.

"I'm just looking for someone that should be in this city." The woman explained not even bothering to acknowledge the words from Bete.

"Then if I tell you all about this person, then can you atleast think about joining!?" Loki demanded with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Riveria released a sigh as she pulled Loki down to her seat and chopped her head with her hand.

"I'm sorry about our goddess."

"No harm done." The woman shook her head as if to show that she thought nothing of it.

"Then can you tell us the name of the person you're looking for?" Riveria offered. "If we know of this person, then we'll do our best and tell you anything we could know."

"Ah, thank you!" The woman clasped her hands together and showed a beautiful smile on her lips.

"Y-yes..." Riveria looked away as she felt a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

"His name is Bell Cranel."

The members of the Loki familia froze at the mention of the name of the pure white boy. They definitely know the person the woman was looking for. Especially the sword princess, Aiz, which looked like someone just poured ice cold water on her as she stared at the woman with wide eyes.

"Why do you want to know of him?" Aiz asked failing to hide the curiosity mixed in her tone.

"He is someone important to me." The woman replied straight.

"See!" Bete slapped the hands of the amazoness twins which were trying to keep him sitting on his seat. "The offer that Loki here had given to this woman is a total waste!"

The woman tilted her head as her eyes narrowed a bit.

"Bete. Stop." Riveria commanded.

"Shut up you old hag."

"Quiet down, Bete." Aiz glared at the werewolf, but he didn't really care.

Bete then walked over towards the woman and narrowed his drunken gaze into a glare as he scoffed.

"Rejecting the offer like you're some sort of big shot, yet here you are looking for a wimp!"

There's nothing changing physically in the interior of the restaurant, yet everyone present, except the werewolf, felt the atmosphere take a deep turn.

"I'm sorry." The woman narrowed her eyes into a sharp glare filled with venom and pure hostility. "Can you repeat that?"

"Repeat what!?" Bete growled. "That the one you're looking for, Bell Cranel, is nothing more than a weakli-"

With a sudden shift in the atmosphere, a sudden blow of pressure was released. The members of the Loki familia, Mia Grand and the waitresses, and even the other customers present, fell to the ground on their hands and knees with such haste that the wooden floor produced a loud thud and the sound of creaking. The weaker ones completely fell unconscious as they fell down to their knees and collapsed on the wooden floor. Loki, Finn, Riveria, Aiz, Tiona, Tione, and Bete tried their best to endure and muster all of the strength they could muster and force themselves to stand up.

But it was futile.

Feeling as if a giant invisible hand was pressing down against their bodies towards the floor, they felt their bodies lose their strength and shake.

The woman then took a step closer to the werewolf and looked down on him with her chin raised slightly upwards.

"Well now." The woman said with her tone filled with hostile mockery. "It appears that your bark is more reliable than your bite, mongrel mutt."

Bete forced his head to look up and saw the woman looking down on him with an expression that showed full hostility and pure mockery for him. He bit his lip and tried all his best to stand up.

"It's still too high." The woman stated. "Lower yourself more, mutt."

Then as if the invisible hand pressed more harder down on him, Bete's hands and knees gave out and he met the floor with his face first. His sweat drenched his entire body.

"Much better." The woman smirked. "Remember the feeling of that floor well, mongrel. For that is where you belong."

"I-I'm sorry!" Riveria managed to yell. Her face was wet with her sweat and tears were starting to bead up from the corner of her eyes.

"What?"

"I-in behalf of Bete Loga, I-I a-apologize!" Riveria apologized as she clung on the corner of the table with her hands.

"So this mutt right here is too much of a fool to apologize himself?" The woman looked at the high-elf clearly not amused that it was a different person who apologized to her.

"B-Bete is most of the times too volatile with his words!" Finn argued as he pulled his body upwards using the wooden chair he sat one earlier. "But, I-I can assure you he's really not a bad person and really doesn't mean any harm!"

The woman looked at the pallum then shifted her gaze to the girl with golden hair that was looking right at her with wide eyes as she tried to stand up herself.

"I-I'll make him apologize!" Loki offered while on her knees.

The woman looked clearly unsatisfied, but then turned away from the Loki familia as she heard the sound of the door opening and then suddenly released the pressure she was exerting.

Everyone on the ground suddenly felt the agonizing heavy pressure that was pressing down on them completely disappear without a trace. With a gush of cold sweat and several deep breathes, they felt the bodies relaxed.

They look at the woman and saw that she was looking right at the door with wide eyes.

"We had a good run didn't we, Bell-sama?" A chestnut-colored hair female pallum exclaimed.

"Yeah that's right Lily!" A man with red short spiky hair agreed. "We gained a lot of valis today so we could treat ourselves quite generously!"

"I'm not sure we should spend too much mindlessly." A girl with long black hair looked a bit uneasy but agreed nonetheless. "But I'll go with Bell-dono's decision."

"I-Is it really alright for me to come, Mikoto-chan?" A cute blonde haired renard nervously asked. "I didn't do that much in the dungeon."

"What are you talking about, Haruhime-san?" A white haired boy with red eyes showed an adorable smile towards the renard. "You did an amazing job!"

Hearing the boy's opinion, the female renard couldn't help but blush. "T-Thank you, Bell-sama."

At the head of their group, Bell Cranel lead his team towards the 'Hostess of Fertility'. With a growling stomach, he excitedly opened the door to the restaurant and was prepared to greet the waitresses there when he stopped in his tracks making Lily bump into his back.

"What?" Lily looked up at Bell with a confused expression. "Bell-sama?"

Hearing no reply from Bell despite their questions, Lily and the others titled their heads in in order to take a peek at what the white haired boy was staring in a dumbfound manner at and held their breath.

Inside the restaurant, they saw the scene of everyone kneeling down on the floor while covered in their own sweat. At the middle of the room was a gorgeous woman whom was the sole one standing.

"Bell?" The woman looked at them with wide eyes.

"Y-yes?" Bell replied with a shaky voice feeling a bit uneasy at the extremely gorgeous woman looking right at them with such eyes.

"Bell!" The woman shouted in an excited tone.

The woman walked up to them with quick steps. He was about to take a step aside in order to let the woman through, but he was soon grabbed by his wrist by the woman.

"W-What!?" Bell blushed deeply feeling the sudden touch.

"I finally found you!"

The woman then pulled Bell towards her making him trip over his foot and land on her delectable bust.

"W-what!? Yes!? Huh?" Bell stammered as he felt his body shiver and his face grow incredibly hot due to the sudden embrace.

"Oh my god, you've become so adorable!" The woman exclaimed as she ruffled his hair with her hand in an excited manner.

Bell's friends couldn't do nothing but stand there with an awestruck expression on their faces completely unable to process what was happening.

"I'I'm really sorry!" Bell did his best to muster his courage and push himself gently away from the woman. "D-do I k-know you!?"

The woman looked at her for a few seconds in complete silence before revealing a fond smile.

"I can't believe that I have such an adorable son!"

"...Wait..."

Bell's eyes widened.

"WHAT!?"

To be Continued(Hopefully)

Afterword

This was a concept that I've though of for quite a while now but was unable to decide if I were to really write a story about it and publish. After thinking about for a long while(Not kidding. I mean a REALLY long while.), I've decided to publish it.

Please tell me what you think about the story in a review. Would you like for me to continue it?

Don't worry about my other Danmachi story; "An Altered Path". I've decided that I'm going to update it and the next chapter is already halfway finished.

Again, I'm not that well-versed in Danmachi, So I could make a mistake here and there. If you have any recommendation or tips for me, please feel free to send me a message or leave it in a review.

As always, if mistakes regarding spelling, grammar, and/or continuity is spotted, please tell me about it and I'll fix them as soon as I can.

Thank you very much for reading.

Maybe I'll see you in the next chapter.

Laters~