Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

The tone of the conversation quickly shifted, and Finn soon became far more serious than he had been moments ago.

"Go ahead. No matter what it is, we of the Loki Familia will give it our all."

"No, it's not quite as serious as you're imagining."

Bell hurriedly waved off Finn's formal tone and continued.

"Actually, it's because I feel like I've hit a wall in my current growth. I want to explore a new direction—something that can help me develop more broadly."

Finn's expression twitched slightly, and he looked at Bell with a hint of exasperation.

"You think you're not well-rounded enough?"

"I've never seen an Adventurer in Orario with a more balanced development than you."

Bell looked a bit sheepish. Even he felt like what he said sounded a little boastful. But it wasn't about showing off—it was the sense of urgency for what lay ahead that drove him.

"I think you understand, Captain Finn, that being 'well-rounded' still isn't enough."

"Both the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia were extremely well-rounded. But in the end, they still met total destruction at the hands of the Black Dragon."

"You're right."

Finn didn't refute him. His face turned serious again.

"But Bell-kun, have you already considered going up against the Black Dragon?"

That question made Bell pause. Then his expression gradually softened.

"Yeah. The Black Dragon is the only being tied to the standard of reaching Level 10, so I have no choice but to step over its corpse to get there."

"Is there some special reason for that?"

"Honestly... it's just a selfish goal. Maybe to others, the idea of stepping over the Black Dragon just to reach Level 10 sounds ridiculous. But right now, it's the thing I want to do most."

Seeing the distinct gleam in Bell-kun's smile, Finn understood—this wasn't a goal that could be shaken. It was the root of Bell's determination.

"As for the reason itself... it's not anything grand, so I'd rather not go into detail."

Since Bell clearly didn't plan to elaborate, Finn didn't push the issue either.

"In that case, what kind of help do you need from us, Bell-kun?"

"The area I want to focus on now is support and coordination. It's a direction Hephaestus-sama recommended to me, and I really do think it's necessary. But if I want to go down this path, I'll need other Adventurers—not just myself."

As he spoke, Bell spread his hands helplessly.

"But there's only me in the Hestia Familia. That makes this really difficult."

Once he understood the source of Bell's frustration, Finn no longer felt troubled.

"If it's just a matter of personnel, that won't be a problem."

Finn could confidently say that his Familia had plenty of capable fighters.

That said, he couldn't assign anyone at random. Perhaps he could arrange for a few members to spend more time working with Bell-kun and see how it went.

Besides, this "test" of Bell's was probably also preparation for a future expedition—so it made even more sense to avoid making any hasty arrangements.

"Bell-kun, what kind of people do you need to work with?"

"People who can fill various roles. I need experience supporting Adventurers in different positions during battle. But overall, it's better to start with lower-level ones. I'm worried Lv.4 and Lv.5 Adventurers might be too much to handle right away."

"That won't be a problem."

If Ais and the others were the ones helping, it wouldn't be training—it would be overkill.

Finn also worried that letting them step in directly might cause some unintended problems. Sending in lower-level Adventurers made more sense—plus, having people closer in level would allow for better testing.

"I'll have Raul, Cassandra, and Daphne assist you. For a first trial, will three be enough?"

"That's more than enough."

With those three, Bell had more than what he needed. He wasn't trying to run a massive test—three would be plenty to keep him occupied for a first run.

"Good."

After getting confirmation, Finn opened a drawer and pulled out a small golden bell, giving it a gentle shake. It let out a crisp, delicate ring.

Bell, however, gave the bell a strange look.

"Captain Finn... what's with the bell?"

Then, with his sharp hearing, he picked up the sound of someone sprinting toward them.

Bang!

"Captain, you called me?!"

An Amazoness girl wearing a rather revealing outfit kicked the door open and charged in.

Her eyes looked like they could only see Finn—and in them, there was a hunger so intense, it felt like you could hear the heavy breathing and possessiveness radiating from her gaze.

Bell instinctively took a small step back.

This was a side of the world he did not know.

Finn calmly set the bell down and smiled at the charging Tione.

"Tione, could you bring Raul, Cassandra, and Daphne here for me?"

"Sure! No problem!"

The moment she got the order, Tione's whole demeanor changed. For her, Finn's command was absolute!

She came like a storm—and disappeared just as quickly, leaving the two men in the room standing in awkward silence.

Bell's expression twitched a few times before he gave an awkward smile.

"Captain Finn... is this how people are usually summoned in the Loki Familia?"

Finn looked a bit embarrassed himself. He knew how this must have looked, so he quickly offered an explanation.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Bell-kun. That bell was a gift from Tione. She insisted I use it whenever I needed her."

Bell opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.

Was this... a dog-training bell?

And someone actually conditioned themselves to come running at the sound? Was she a person or a dog?

After a few seconds of silence, Bell gave a small cough.

"Well, I suppose every Familia has its own... unique traditions. I get it."

Finn covered his face in mild despair. He knew Tione's bell would be misunderstood—but if he didn't use it, she'd just cling to him even more.

After recovering from that small embarrassment, Finn turned back to Bell.

"Bell-kun, do you have a lot of free time right now?"

"Not really. My schedule's been pretty full lately. Aside from testing new applications of magic, I've also been working on raising my Status. I want to build up as much as I can before the expedition—hopefully even take another step forward while we're out there."

That made Finn pause for a moment.

"Bell-kun... you're already thinking about advancing to Lv.3?"

"...Yeah. At this point, I really need to start thinking about my Status and Excelia."

The pace of his progress left Finn almost speechless. Not even half a year had passed, and Bell was already preparing to hit Lv.3. It was like he was riding a rocket.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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