Bell left the Guild with mixed feelings.
He had come to Orario expecting to face a difficult decision, but now that dilemma turned out to be just a product of his imagination.
The Hestia Familia he longed to join hadn't even been founded yet.
"This is problematic," he thought. "I miscalculated the timing."
If he wasn't mistaken, Lady Hestia was probably still living off Lady Hephaestus at this point.
As he walked through Orario's streets, Bell reflected on his situation.
Passively waiting wasn't an option - Hestia might continue indefinitely in her fruitless search for Familia members, and he didn't have that luxury of time.
He needed a plan, a way to accelerate events.
"Taking initiative is the only way," he murmured to himself.
Waiting like a spectator would only make him an easy target in this dangerous city.
Meanwhile, at Hephaestus's shop, loud sobbing disturbed the usual peace of the establishment.
Hestia, her cheeks soaked with tears, lamented to her friend: "Hephaestus! Why can't I find even one member for my Familia?"
"Even that lout Soma got followers!"
The few adventurers who had approached the store quickly walked away upon hearing the complaints.
None wanted to get dragged into what clearly seemed like a problematic Familia.
Hephaestus, her visible eye narrowed in exasperation, watched as potential customers disappeared.
"Hestia, for heaven's sake, don't you realize this behavior only makes things worse?" she asked while massaging her temples.
"But I asked each one personally!" Hestia replied with genuine confusion.
She seemed not to understand why her direct recruitment method hadn't worked.
Hephaestus barely restrained a frustrated scream.
"That's precisely the problem!"
"No god with any sense recruits like that!"
"You looked like a desperate street vendor rather than a dignified goddess."
Her words made Hestia shrink back, slowly understanding the magnitude of her mistake.
At that crucial moment, when the situation seemed most hopeless, the doorbell's chime announced a visitor.
A young man with snow-white hair and ruby eyes entered with determined steps.
His clear, respectful voice echoed through the shop:
"Good afternoon, Lady Hephaestus."
"I'm Bell Cranel, an adventurer newly arrived in Orario."
Hephaestus's eyes immediately shone with understanding.
This boy, innocent of the city's gossip, represented the last hope for her clumsy friend.
With an almost imperceptible gesture toward Hestia, she seemed to say:
"This is your chance."
"Don't mess it up."
___
Bell stepped out of the Guild with quiet determination, discreetly asking local vendors for directions to Goddess Hephaestus's shop. Each glance he received when mentioning the place carried a mix of mockery and pity, as if they were thinking, "Does this poor fool really believe he can afford anything there?" He knew full well that even the most basic equipment in the smith goddess's shop cost millions of valis - sums beyond most adventurers' wildest dreams.
But his goal wasn't to purchase weapons or armor.
He needed to find Hestia.
Not seeing her name in the Guild's records had confirmed his suspicion that the goddess was still depending on Hephaestus's charity. When he finally stood before the shop window and spotted that familiar figure with raven-black twin tails and a blue ribbon, he knew his intuition had been right. "There you are," he murmured to himself, nervously adjusting his cloak's collar before pushing the door open.
The metallic chime of the bell alerted both deities. Bell immediately felt the weight of their gazes, particularly Hephaestus's piercing stare as her single visible eye seemed to peer straight through his intentions. Taking a deep breath, he gave a slight bow and spoke clearly: "Goddess Hephaestus, my name is Bell Cranel. I'm a newly arrived adventurer in Orario and just registered with the Guild. I'm currently seeking a Familia willing to accept me."
His words, seemingly simple, had been carefully chosen. Each syllable was meant not just for Hephaestus, but for that other presence in the room whose expression had shifted from boredom to sudden interest.
Hephaestus crossed her arms, studying the young man before her. There was something unusual about this boy - a self-awareness rare among newcomers who typically arrived full of inflated dreams and unrealistic expectations. "And what exactly brings you to my shop, Bell Cranel? If you're looking to join my Familia, I should warn you we only accept those with exceptional smithing talent," she stated bluntly.
Bell's response came without hesitation: "I don't deceive myself about my limitations, Goddess Hephaestus. I know I lack the skills to be valuable to your Familia. But I thought that given your position and connections, you might know of an emerging Familia in need of members."
In the corner, Hestia held her breath. Every word from the young man rang like a bell of opportunity she couldn't let pass. But Hephaestus, ever cautious, wasn't ready to concede so easily. "Suppose I refuse to help you. Then what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bell remained calm, though his knuckles whitened slightly as he clenched his fists. "In that case, I would humbly request employment in your establishment. Even as a sweeper or porter. Orario is a city that devours the unwary, and I'd prefer honest work to becoming another victim of its streets."
Hephaestus felt unexpected respect for the boy's frankness. She'd seen too many prideful youths fall into misery. This one at least understood the rules of the game. "And what brought you to Orario, if you're so aware of its dangers?" she inquired, genuinely curious.
"Power," Bell answered without pretense, and for an instant, something dark flickered in his ruby eyes. Something that made Hephaestus momentarily reconsider her initial assessment. This wasn't just a frightened child - there was determination there, and perhaps something more she couldn't quite identify.
With an almost imperceptible sigh, Hephaestus glanced at Hestia, whose expression now mixed hope and anxiety. She knew what she was about to do might be a mistake, but she also recognized when fate was dealing its cards. "It seems, Hestia, your search is over," she said finally, gesturing toward Bell. "Here is your first Familia member."
Hestia could barely contain her excitement as Bell, maintaining his composure, bowed his head respectfully. The first step had been taken, though neither could imagine how this chance meeting would forever alter Orario's destiny.