Chapter 55: Bell's Grimoire!

The sky was painted a fiery red as the evening sun cast its warm glow upon Orario.

"Let's just put him here for now," Shiro said, settling Bell onto his bed in Twilight Manor.

He had no idea where the residence of Hestia Familia was located.

"The Guild should have a record of his residence. If you need anything, come find me. I'm off to teach Lefiya," Riveria said before leaving his room.

The setting sun streamed through the window, illuminating Bell's face.

He moved his eyelashes while lying on the bed, and then there was no more movement.

Moments later, as if bothered by the sunlight, Bell raised his arm to shield his eyes and slowly opened them.

"You're awake! The operation was successful. You're a girl now," Shiro joked, looking up from the book he was reading at the table.

"Eh? Eh?!" Bell's eyes shot open, and he frantically touched his lower body.

He was then relieved to find his little brother still there; finally, he had time to look at his surroundings.

It looked like he was no longer in the Dungeon, and the unfamiliar scenery confused him.

"Eh? Where is this? Why is Torajirou-san here?"

"This is the residence of Loki Familia. We found you unconscious in the Dungeon from mind zero while returning from an expedition, so I brought you back."

Shiro put down his book and explained the concept of mind zero to Bell.

After learning that he had once again been rescued by Shiro, Bell scrambled out of bed and deeply bowed in gratitude.

"No need for thanks, we just happened to be passing by. But I'm curious, Bell, where did you find a grimoire?" Shiro inquired, asking the question that had been bothering him.

Grimoires were such rare items that they were usually snatched up as soon as they appeared on the market.

He considered himself lucky to have encountered one in the Witch's Secret House, but for another to surface so soon, especially in the hands of a novice adventurer like Bell, was quite perplexing.

"Grimoire? What's that?" Bell asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"You don't know? Then how did you awaken your magic?"

"Um... I remember borrowing a book from Syr, one that someone left behind at the tavern. I fell asleep while reading it and had a strange dream. When I woke up, I found that I had awakened my magic during a status update. Wait... could that book have been something valuable?"

As Bell spoke, cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

A valuable item to awaken magic... he couldn't possibly repay such a debt, even if he sold himself.

'I'm sorry, kami-sama. I might have to work for someone else for the rest of my life…' Bell thought to himself.

But wait, he still has the book.

Maybe it could still be used.

He just needed to return it…

"By the way, grimoires are one-time use items. Once read, it becomes useless. Their market price is ridiculously high, so it's basically priceless," Shiro added, shattering Bell's last glimmer of hope.

Bell's eyes glazed over as he slumped to the floor with blank eyes and turned into a stone statue.

"But you don't have to worry about it. That book was probably left behind by someone who doesn't need it. So, no one will come knocking at your doorsteps for repayment," Shiro reassured the desperate boy.

"How is that possible... It's a super rare item that can awaken magic. Why would anyone just throw it away?"

Bell didn't believe Shiro's words this time.

He understood the value of magic all too well, and the thought of discarding such a rare item to awaken magic was simply inconceivable to him.

Seeing Bell already calculating how much he could earn in a day to repay his supposed debt, Shiro decided not to press the issue further.

He couldn't exactly tell the boy that someone had taken a liking to him and specifically invested in his potential as a hero.

Even if he said this, Bell might not believe him.

Then, Shiro stood up and placed his book back on the shelf.

"If you're really worried, just save up some money and wait for the creditor to show up. I'm going to grab some dinner. Want to join me?"

Although the dining hall of Loki Familia was primarily used by its own members, occasionally bringing a guest or two wasn't that big of a problem.

After all, Loki herself was the biggest offender in this regard, often finding ways to keep attractive girls from other Familias around a little longer, hoping for a chance to flirt with them.

"Dinner? What time is it?" Bell remembered leaving his home in the early hours of the morning.

So, it should be breakfast time, not dinner.

"About six in the afternoon," Shiro estimated, judging by the position of the sun.

"Is it six o'clock already?!!" Bell exclaimed, startled.

"I'm sorry, Torajirou-san! Kami-sama is still waiting for me at home! I have to go there immediately!"

Not wanting to worry his goddess any further, Bell dashed out the door, leaving Shiro behind.

Shiro shook his head, watching the boy disappear into the distance, before heading towards the dining hall.

'Even after I inflicted such a wound on Ottar, Freya still believes she can win?' He mused, recalling the events of their recent encounter.

Upon entering the dining hall, he discovered that dinner had been prepared by a group of elves this time.

They had created a special salad tailored to Riveria's preferences, offering a fresh and refreshing taste.

After days of munching on Dungeon fruits, it was a welcome change, even though Riveria would have preferred not to have them go through so much trouble for her sake.

"Where's Ais?" Tiona asked, putting down her fork as she noticed Shiro enter the hall.

"Didn't she come back with you? Why isn't she here?"

Just as Shiro was about to answer, Loki's voice boomed from the doorway.

"Ais-tan reached Level 6! Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!"

The unexpected news sparked a wave of excited chatter throughout the hall, while a heavy silence descended upon Tiona's group.

Bete even kicked Raul, who had excitedly approached him to talk about this matter, sending the spiky-haired boy away flying.

It was clear that Ais's level up had put considerable pressure on the other Level 5 members of Loki Familia.

After all, Ais reaching Level 6 held a special significance for Loki Familia.

Before Ais, there were only three Level 6 adventurers in Loki Familia – Finn, Riveria, and Gareth.

They were the founding members, present since the establishment of Loki Familia.

Ais, Bete, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Shiro, who joined later due to various circumstances, were considered the new generation.

Ais's promotion to Level 6 symbolized that the new generation was catching up to the veterans, sparking anticipation among the other members about when the remaining Level 5s would follow suit.

Ais, who had followed behind Loki, instantly became the center of attention.

All eyes were on the newly upgraded Level 6 member of Loki Familia, making the quiet girl feel somewhat embarrassed.

So, ignoring the stares, she grabbed a plate and sat next to Shiro, silently enjoying her meal.

Fortunately, the Loki Familia members were well aware of Ais's personality and understood that the girl had no ill intentions.

So, they continued their lively discussion, speculating about who would be the next to reach Level 6.

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