Night crept down, enveloping the Labyrinth City of Orario, bringing a cool breeze that swept away the remaining tension of the post-Orariopiad. Inside the living room of Hearth Manor, the atmosphere felt calm yet filled with unspoken anticipation. In their midst, Venti sat leaning casually in a single armchair, swirling the wine glass in his hand with a faint smile that never left his face.
Across from him, Alfia stood with elegant posture, while Zald leaned against the wall with folded arms. Dina and Vena stood not far from there, their postures relaxed yet radiating a steady composure.
"Tomorrow, we will return to our timeline," Venti broke the silence. His voice was not loud, but enough to halt all activity in the room.
Alfia closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling softly before nodding. "Yes. It's time to return. Staying here too long will only trigger more unnecessary ripples."
That decision was spoken so simply, yet its weight struck Bell Cranel harder than any blow. The white-haired youth looked down, his hands clenched in his lap.
That night, Venti and his group formally bid farewell to Hestia and all members of her familia. Hestia, though still often wary of Zald and Alfia's auras, could not hide her gratitude. Ryuu, Lili, Welf, Haruhime, and Mikoto gave their farewells with profound respect.
Midnight arrived, but Bell Cranel's eyes refused to close.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling illuminated by moonlight from the window. His thoughts kept drifting back to the past—to the time when he met Meteria, the woman who gave birth to him. He remembered his mother's warm embrace and gentle smile that calmed every storm in his heart. Tomorrow morning, all of that would revert to a history he could not reach. The distance between them was no longer merely space, but time itself.
Feeling his chest too tight, Bell got up. He put on his thin jacket and walked out of the room, down the quiet corridors of Hearth Manor, until he arrived at the rear balcony overlooking the garden.
There, he found Venti sitting on the balcony railing. The Wind God wasn't holding his lyre, but simply enjoying the night breeze caressing his face.
"Oh, you're not asleep, Bell?" Venti greeted without turning his head, as if the wind had told him of the youth's arrival.
Bell stepped forward and stood beside Venti. "I can't sleep, Lord Venti," he answered honestly. His voice sounded quiet, laden with an emotional burden difficult to untangle.
Venti turned, looking into Bell's red eyes with a very clear gaze. His playful smile vanished, replaced by sincere sympathy. "If we return, you will definitely miss your mother and aunt very much."
Bell pressed his lips tightly together. He nodded slowly, unable to voice his agreement for fear his voice would break.
Venti reached into the pocket of his green cloak, then pulled out a fairly thick leather-bound book. He handed it to Bell.
"What is this, Lord Venti?" asked Bell, receiving the book with a furrowed brow.
"Photos of when you were in our timeline back then," Venti answered casually, looking back at the moon. "Just open it."
With slightly trembling hands, Bell opened the first page of the album. His breath hitched. There, vividly depicted were portraits capturing his one month of life in the past. Page after page displayed incredibly real memories.
There was a photo showing him battered, sprawled on the ground while Alfia stood over him with her signature cold expression. On the next page, there was a portrait of him hugging Meteria tightly, his face buried in his mother's shoulder as he cried his heart out. Bell's heart fluttered warmly seeing Meteria's smile in that photo, so full of life and affection.
Then, he flipped to another page and found a photo that made him smile awkwardly: an embarrassing portrait of him being beaten by Alfia using a wooden sword, with Zald laughing uproariously in the background.
However, on the next page, Bell's gaze froze. It was a photo of Aria—the pale green-haired woman who disguised herself under the name Sylphie—smiling faintly. Bell's mind immediately recalled the emotional reunion in the courtyard of Hearth Manor earlier that afternoon.
"By the way, Lord Venti," Bell murmured, his eyes not leaving the photo. "What is the true identity of Ais-san's mother?"
Venti looked at Bell with an expression that turned serious.
"Do you seriously want to know, Bell?" Venti asked, his tone heavy. "Because this is a very heavy responsibility. Knowing this truth means you must carry part of the burden of her history."
Bell raised his face, looking straight into the teal eyes of the god. There was no hesitation there. He nodded firmly.
Venti sighed softly. "Ais is the biological daughter of the Hero Albert Waldstein and the Great Spirit Aria."
Bell's eyes widened immensely. His mouth fell slightly open, his brain trying to process the information that had just hit him like a sledgehammer. "Wasn't... Hero Albert from an era a thousand years ago?"
"Yes," Venti answered briefly. "Ais was sealed in eternal ice magic for a millennium to save her life. She woke up in this era, having lost everything. Her father, her mother, and her entire world."
That reality shattered Bell's heart. He imagined little Ais, waking up in a strange, cold world filled with monsters, without the warm embrace of a mother or the protection of a father. Suddenly, Ais's obsession with getting stronger, the emptiness in her eyes all this time, and her isolation made perfect sense. The girl not only carried the burden as the Sword Princess, but also a thousand-year-old sorrow.
"Now that you know this," Venti continued, his eyes staring sharply at Bell, piercing to the depths of his soul. "Do you dare to fight the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Bell? After all, Ais's father was killed by that monster. And that girl's inner wounds will never truly heal before that nightmare is destroyed."
The night air felt frozen. However, inside Bell's chest, a small fire that was initially dim now blazed fiercely. The fear that used to shadow him every time he heard the name of that apocalyptic dragon was now burned to ash by pure determination. For Ais. For the girl who had saved him from the Minotaur, the girl who had become his role model, and the girl he loved.
Bell looked at Venti, clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, then nodded with absolute conviction.
Seeing the resolve in the youth's eyes, Venti smiled gently. Venti fully understood the mechanics of this world's system. He knew about Liaris Freese, Bell's rare skill that accelerated his growth as long as his feelings remained resolute. Now, with Bell knowing Ais's past suffering, those feelings would never waver. This youth had just found the most fundamental reason to destroy the OEBD.
The chains of despair had been transformed into wings of freedom.
To break the overly heavy atmosphere, Bell shifted his gaze back to the photo album in his hands. He observed the details of the incredibly clear images.
"Come to think of it... how can these images be this real? In this era, Oculus is only used for live broadcasts and cannot be printed. Even if there are physical images, they are usually just hand-drawn paintings."
Venti chuckled, returning to his original relaxed nature. "Oh, that's because the camera used was built by little Asfi herself."
Bell almost dropped the album. "Asfi-san?!"
"Yes," Venti chuckled. "In the past, I only explained the concept of 'capturing light onto paper' from my knowledge, and that genius girl immediately assembled the device in a matter of days. So, the one who photographed all your embarrassing memories was also little Asfi."
Bell could only smile resignedly, imagining the figure of the always-serious Hermes Familia captain running around carrying an experimental device in her childhood.
Venti patted Bell's shoulder. "Go to sleep, Bell. It's getting late. Keep that album well, let it be a reminder that the past is never truly gone as long as you remember it."
Bell nodded with immense gratitude. Hugging the leather album tightly to his chest, he turned and went back to his room. That night, for the first time since the Orariopiad festival ended, Bell slept very soundly, carrying resolve to welcome tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Labyrinth City, far from the hustle and bustle of the main streets, there was a small, dimly lit tavern. The rhythmic clinking of wooden glasses against tables could be heard.
Zald, with a large black cloak hiding the Vorago sword on his back, sat at a corner table. Across from him sat an old man with a long white beard and round glasses who was trying to disguise his identity.
Zald sipped beer from his wooden glass, looking at his former god with a flat gaze. "It's quite rare for you to invite me for a drink in a place like this, Zeus."
Zeus laughed softly, his laugh sounding a bit hoarse yet warm. "Yes... Thanks to Alfia's threat the other day, I have to make sure I don't look conspicuous. But, I at least have to see and greet Bell, even if it means I have to hide in the corner of the city. Besides, celebrating the end of the festival with my Former Familia Member isn't a bad idea, right?"
Zald snorted softly, but there was no hostility in his voice. He stared at his half-empty glass.
"I saw you during the Orariopiad finals from the oculus crystal Alfia gave me," said Zeus, his tone turning a bit more serious and filled with pride. "Excellent job, Zald. You pushed all the children of this era to their absolute limits. You showed them what it means to be a wall of absoluteness."
"They are the great ones," Zald replied calmly. "Those kids... Ottar, Leon, and especially your grandson who is also Alfia's nephew. They didn't run. Back then, we failed because we let arrogance cloud our eyes. But this generation... they support each other. I only did my duty as a whetstone."
Zeus smiled, his eyes staring off into the past. "You all have found your own paths under the Barbatos banner. Knowing that you are alive and have a new purpose in your timeline... that is more than enough to erase my old regrets."
Both fell silent, letting a comfortable quiet settle over their table. That night, in that small bar, the old god and his former Familia Member simply shared drinks, letting go of the past, and celebrating the future they had just forged with blood and sweat.
Dawn broke, painting the Orario sky with streaks of orange and gold.
In front of the Hearth Manor gates, a sturdy wooden horse carriage stood ready. Venti, Alfia, Zald, Dina, and Vena stood near the carriage, preparing for their journey to the Dragon Valley.
Across from them, all members of the Hestia Familia stood in a line. Bell was at the very front, his eyes looking a bit puffy but radiating resilience. Hestia stood beside him, arms crossed over her chest even though her eyes were welling up with tears. Ryuu, Lili, Welf, Haruhime, and Mikoto gave their final farewells.
However, everyone's attention was diverted when two figures approached from the end of the street. Ais Wallenstein walked accompanied by Riveria Ljos Alf. Ais's appearance this morning felt different; the cold aura that always enveloped her seemed to have melted. Her eyes radiated a warmth and life that no one in Orario had ever seen.
Ais stopped right in front of Venti. Without hesitation, she bowed her head deeply, an incredibly sincere gesture of respect.
"Lord Venti," Ais's voice sounded clear and steady. "I will never be able to repay what you have done. Thank you... thank you for returning something I thought was lost forever."
Venti chuckled softly, waving his hand in the relaxed manner he usually displayed. "Oh, don't mention it, Ais. The wind always returns what should come home. My job is just to make sure it blows in the right direction." Venti then looked at Ais and Bell in turn, his smile blooming. "Take good care of yourselves. And make sure you two don't disappoint the test given by this fierce aunt."
Alfia clicked her tongue softly hearing that nickname, but didn't argue. She walked towards Bell. "Don't die, Bell. If the time comes and you fail, I will personally cross time to punish you."
Bell smiled broadly. "I promise, Aunt Alfia."
Zald immediately stepped up to take the reins at the driver's seat. Dina and Vena merely raised a hand casually toward Bell and Ais, then got inside the carriage.
After everyone was seated, Zald pulled the reins gently. The carriage slowly began to move, its wheels clattering as it cut through the still-quiet outer stone streets of Orario.
Bell Cranel, Hestia, and Ais stood side by side, watching the carriage's departure. The morning breeze swept their faces, bringing a warmth that oddly felt very familiar. They continued to stand there, no one intending to turn back, listening to the sound of the carriage wheels growing more distant.
They watched in silence until the silhouette of the wooden carriage disappeared behind a bend, swallowed by the light of dawn. The heroes of the past era had officially left the stage, handing the baton of Orario's destiny completely into the grasp of the new generation.
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