Bell is still a complete newcomer, very unconfident in himself. This is normal, after all; he's only been in Orario for a few days and is exactly like any ordinary, unremarkable adventurer.
And the people around him all have skills. Compared to others, Bell is truly too ordinary. He hasn't been severely discouraged, and that's because he has a good mindset.
"I think she's not doing this job willingly. In the Entertainment District, there's a rule that clients can redeem them, of course, this requires a lot of money."
Takatsuki revealed a smile like a dagger revealed at the end of a map: "Bell, if you want to help Haruhime, then go and understand her feelings tomorrow. Lending a helping hand to the weak, isn't that what a hero would do?"
"Lending a helping hand...?"
Bell lowered his head, pondering Takatsuki's words. He had never thought so much, but after Takatsuki's prompting, he understood that Takatsuki was right.
The two walked step by step on the way back. As they were about to reach the stronghold, Bell suddenly spoke.
"Takatsuki, what do you think makes a hero?"
Takatsuki stopped and looked back at Bell, who had suddenly spoken: "A hero, huh? I think it's someone who can lend a helping hand to others, whether that's one person or a group of people, whether the goal is to defeat an enemy or provide assistance, to rescue others from their suffering. Even if they're not a hero to the world, they'll become a hero to someone."
"A hero to someone..."
Bell had never thought of such a thing. He didn't comment on Takatsuki's answer; he was just thinking about his own answer.
After returning to the stronghold, the two didn't disturb anyone else and went to sleep, but Bell couldn't sleep well.
...
"Bell! Takatsuki! Where were you two last night!"
Early in the morning, the two were shaken awake by Hestia, who had come out of her room. Their late return last night was not without consequences.
"Ah, that..."
Before Bell could stammer out their whereabouts from last night, Takatsuki spoke: "I took Bell to study."
"Study?"
Bell's eyes widened as he looked at the nonsensical Takatsuki, then at the puzzled Hestia.
"You can't lie in front of a god. Were you really studying?"
The definition of lying is too subjective. Takatsuki truly felt he was guiding Bell, helping him learn to find his own path.
"Forget it, don't come back so late next time."
Hestia, after confirming that Takatsuki wasn't lying, didn't intend to probe further. However, Takatsuki wasn't satisfied: "I'll probably have to go a few more times these days, at least today we still need to go."
"Is that so? Is it very important?"
"Very important!"
Hestia nodded: "Then let everyone go together."
Hestia didn't notice Bell's somewhat horrified expression beside her when she spoke. Takatsuki calmly said: "It's not very suitable. Bell and I are enough, and that's only suitable for Bell. I'm just there to protect him, after all, Orario isn't absolutely safe, especially at night."
"Alright then."
Hestia didn't see Bell's horrified expression, but the others did. They looked at Bell with some confusion, then at Takatsuki, but they didn't say anything to expose him.
After Hestia left, Bell breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Takatsuki: "Takatsuki, how did you..."
How did he manage to fool a chief god without being discovered?
Although he didn't say it out loud, Takatsuki understood.
"Because everything I said was true. Instead of me, you should think about your own path."
His own path, huh? Bell hadn't slept well all night. He had come back very late, and then he had thought about yesterday's conversation all night, so he had dark circles under his eyes.
"Sigh..."
Poor Bell, bearing the struggles he shouldn't at his age.
After sitting on the sofa for a long time, Bell seemed to think of something. He looked around and saw Mei preparing food in the kitchen and Kiana trying to sneak a bite.
"Um, Miss Mei, Miss Kiana."
Bell thought for a moment and walked over.
"What is it, Bell?" Mei put down her spoon and looked at the young boy in front of her, who was like a rabbit, and at the same time, she tapped Kiana's hand, which was trying to steal food.
"It's like this, I wanted to ask, in your opinion, what is a hero?"
If he couldn't find the answer himself, then asking others would be fine.
Although he wouldn't completely follow others' answers, it could at least provide him with ideas.
"A hero, you say?"
Mei hadn't expected Bell to ask such a question, and his attitude was clearly very serious, so she didn't answer casually but thought for a moment.
Kiana, on the other hand, didn't think so much. She smiled and said to Bell: "A hero is someone who protects the people! Our Kaslana Family has been knights of the people for generations, fighting to protect them. My stinky old man has always fought to protect others. In my opinion, that stinky old man is a hero!"
"Protecting others, fighting for others, huh...?"
Bell put himself in their shoes. At least he didn't have the strength to fight for others yet.
"My thoughts are a bit different from Kiana's." Mei then expressed her opinion: "In my opinion, my hero is someone who can lend a helping hand when needed. I once fell into despair, and someone saved me when I needed help the most. I don't have grand ambitions, but in my eyes, he is my hero."
Bell might not have understood, but Kiana understood what Mei was saying. She immediately hugged Mei and asked: "Mei, what about me? What about me!"
Mei immediately replied, "Oh, Kiana is my best friend too."
With just one sentence, Kiana was appeased, and Bell took the opportunity to leave the kitchen and go to the yard.
Every morning, if Fu Hua wasn't helping in the kitchen, she would definitely be practicing her martial arts here. And at this moment, Bell saw Fu Hua practicing with powerful and swift movements.
As if sensing that Bell had something to say, Fu Hua quickly finished her practice and looked in Bell's direction, asking in a calm tone: "Is there something?"
"Um... Miss Fu Hua... in your opinion, what makes a hero?"
"A hero, huh...?"
Fu Hua put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment: "I think as long as one is positive, constantly resists fate, and constantly overcomes their past self, they can be considered a hero. Strength can be trained and can grow, but a person's state of mind determines their upper limit. Being able to constantly overcome oneself, that's being one's own hero."
"One's own hero, huh...?"
Bell couldn't quite understand Fu Hua's point of view, but that didn't stop him from writing it down.