OBSERVATIONS OF A MAGE
Keep an eye on Bell Cranell, his party, and the Xenos girl.
These were the orders given to me, Fels, by my master Ouranos. An intelligent monster has succeeded in reaching the surface, forcing our hand.
Truth be told, though, I wonder if we should not take more drastic action. Can we really afford to simply observe from a distance as such a dangerous and critical event unfolds before our eyes? It troubles me, but if that is my savior’s wish, then it is not my place to argue. I, too, would like to see the Xenos saved.
From this day on, my loyal owl, Gafiel, will assist in my observations of Hestia Familia. I have also decided to keep a journal of my findings. I am not always by my lord’s side after all, and it will be easier to present my report in a compact, digestible format.
Can Hestia Familia truly become a beacon of hope for the Xenos? I, for one, will not hold my breath…
Day 1.
Today, many of the Hestia Familia members, including their goddess, were absent, leaving only the vouivre girl, Little Rookie, and one renart at the familia home. The three of them played together in the mansion courtyard, making for a truly heartwarming sight.
It seems that, much like the rest of this city, the vouivre girl is quite interested in Mr. Bell Cranell. Never have I seen a Xenos open up to an adventurer so quickly before. Perhaps, as I learned, the fact the girl was recently born in the Dungeon is partly responsible for this. Could it be that some level of imprinting is taking place?
The incident I observed shortly afterward appeared to lend credence to this theory, albeit primarily through the words and actions of Bell Cranell himself. Bell seemed unconsciously predisposed to accept and comfort the Xenos after she injured him. Even to an outside observer such as myself, the love and affection were plain to see.
You may laugh at me if you will, but from the very first page of this journal, I have been wondering if this boy may be the one. Indeed, though my master’s decision still gives me grief, I cannot dispute the facts, and I find my doubts partly giving way to a sense of hopeful optimism. Bell has well and truly risen to the occasion and seems almost wholly uninterested by the potential personal gains inherent to the discovery of a rare monster breed. His behavior intrigues me, and given the chance, I would very much like to pick his brains about it someday.
However, I have a task I must fulfill, and on that note, one point did come up today that I feel obliged to bear in mind moving forward.
Bell Cranell seemed highly aware of the observation being conducted. It is exceedingly likely, in fact, that he realized he was being watched. When Gafiel returns, I shall have to reexamine my methods in order to eliminate any possibility of detection.
After sunset, the entire familia reconvened and spent some quality time in each other’s company. The vouivre girl seemed to have opened up to every member by this point, likely due to the actions of Bell Cranell and, in particular, the renart girl Haruhime Sanjouno. They had become quite close, as evidenced by the incident that occurred in the baths. Incidentally, seeing the naked vouivre girl and half-naked members of his familia caused Bell Cranell to shriek and faint.
Still, it got me thinking…How long has it been since I last experienced a bath? Certainly, the notion of a pile of bones soaking in the tub is almost comically futile, but oh, what I wouldn’t give to feel the warm waters envelop my flesh once more. Unfortunately, it can never be.
I must say, this journal business is quite a bit more fun than I initially expected. I must be finding it so to be jotting down such idle thoughts. The gods would surely say of me that, even after eight hundred years, I am still a child. Perhaps they are right.
Of course, I must not let this devolve into mere voyeurism, but for now, I shall consider any personal enjoyment I may take in the course of my tasks a welcome blessing. I shall do as I usually do and learn from the gods’ example. No being is greater than they at relishing the joys of the world after all.
Now whatever will tomorrow bring? I find myself waiting eagerly in anticipation.
Day 2.
Something peculiar has happened already. Rather than summarize the conversation, which I highly suspect to be an impossible task, I shall write out what I overheard verbatim.
“Lady Hestia, what on earth are you doing exiting Master Bell’s room at such an ungodly hour in the morning?! And with young Wiene in tow, no less! Did we not all sign an agreement forbidding the use of such underhanded tactics?!”
“I-I just thought Wiene was feeling lonely! I wasn’t thinking of me, honest!”
“D-d-d-does that mean you also involved an i-i-i-i-innocent young girl like Wiene in your depraved acts?! Scandalous!!”
“Hey, who are you calling depraved?! I’m a virgin goddess, I’ll have you know! And what do you even mean by that?!”
What on earth goes on within these four walls…?
I do not envy Bell Cranell, trapped in a war of affections as he is. It was a truly piteous sight, with the poor boy unable to do anything, the vouivre girl crying in young Mikoto Yamato’s arms, and the other girls screaming at each other. Welf Crozzo stood off to one side, sighing, and I found myself worrying about the young man’s mental health.
Not that any of that is my business. In any case, it seems that Mikoto Yamato aside, the other 80 percent of Hestia Familia’s womenfolk harbor feelings for Bell Cranell. What a strange familia indeed…
Many of the gods say he is building a so-called harem, and it is difficult to argue otherwise, seeing the ladies close ranks so dramatically in response to a rogue element…However, based on my observations, Bell Cranell is not a heartbreaker, nor is he polyamorous, nor does he seem to be the kind of vulgar character dead set on bedding every woman in the city.
Oh, my own imagination does amuse me sometimes.
In any case, I have a sneaking suspicion that witnessing such arguments is not conducive to the wholesome upbringing of a newborn Xenos. I am starting to get the sense that leaving the child in their care may not be a good idea after all.
To lay my fears to rest, I must cut to the heart of this cobweb of relationships that has so thoroughly ensnared the young Bell Cranell…
Day 3, Morning.
My investigation has uncovered many things surrounding the boy. It is clear to me now that it is not only out of convenience that he sits in the captain’s seat. He truly possesses the respect of his fellow familia members, despite being the youngest and his frequent incidents that are so embarrassing that I cannot bear to watch them.
Of course, it is entirely possible that this respect is more akin to that of a group of big brothers and sisters all looking after their younger sibling. The things he says are oftentimes foolish, and yet those around him cannot help but be charmed by them. They will do anything to support him, almost as though whatever he says is the absolute, undeniable truth. Of all the members, none display this attitude more prominently than Hestia herself.
Today, I observed the following development:
“How did you meet Bell, Haruhime?”
“I was living in a…nightlife district on the outskirts of town. Master Bell and Ms. Mikoto rescued me, much as he did you, Ms. Wiene.”
“Mm-hmm. You should have seen Sir Bell back then, Lady Haruhime. He was prepared to leave the city with you if that was what it took.”
“R-really?!”
“Yes. I, too, was shocked when I heard it. It moved me how, even through all the pain and suffering, the only things that occupied his thoughts were you and your safety.”
“I’m jealous…”
It was in the courtyard, at a time when Bell Cranell was otherwise engaged. The renart girl made a strange sound and reddened, but her fine tail wagged like a dog’s. She’s exceedingly easy to read, that girl.
Haruhime Sanjouno.
It was clear from day one that she harbored feelings for Bell Cranell. Judging by the conversation I just transcribed, as well as the prior allegiance with Ishtar Familia recorded in her Guild registration, I can only assume that something happened between her and Bell Cranell when war broke out between Ishtar and Freya. A former brothel worker sold into bondage…I mean, out of bondage. What a romantic tale…I’m jealous.
This girl, it seems, dotes the most on the young vouivre out of any member of the familia. I cannot tell whether it is simple kindness or sympathy born of a common past. What is evident, however, is that she does not view the Xenos girl with any of the fear or revulsion she would a normal monster. Whenever Bell Cranell is away, it is usually this Haruhime Sanjouno who looks after her. She has made an active effort, and the vouivre girl has opened her heart in return. Surely, this is how Ouranos and the Xenos wish all their kind to be treated. This renart girl possesses some truly rare qualities.
She is assisted by Mikoto Yamato, who appears to be some kind of samurai or ninja from the Far East. They seem to be old acquaintances and must have grown up together over there. Although she seemed frightened at first, she is gradually learning to accept the vouivre girl at Haruhime Sanjouno’s urging. It seems she still does not fully trust her, however, and keeps a watchful eye on the girl at all times, but those eyes are tinged with kindness as they watch her play with Haruhime Sanjouno.
My personal analysis is that she is something of a moderating presence within the familia, much like Welf Crozzo. She is neither completely naive nor completely uncompromising. She is serious, with a strong sense of duty, especially toward her family, and pure and upstanding, as can be seen in the circumstances of her conversion.
The attitudes of both Haruhime Sanjouno and Mikoto Yamato can be traced back to Bell Cranell. It is their trust in him that leads to their acceptance of the vouivre girl. If he had not been there, there’s no doubt neither of them would be who they are today. They would have ended up just like Lido…like all of the Xenos, endlessly persecuted without anyone seeing them for who they truly are.
Perhaps I place too much value on the boy, but it is true, whichever way you slice it, that something extraordinary had to have happened for me to see what I saw today. The gulf between mankind and the monsters is simply too vast to bridge otherwise.
So you may call Bell Cranell a good-natured fool, but I wish to believe that it is his foolish acts and those who believe in them that have succeeded in bringing a smile to a young Xenos’s face.
Day 3, Afternoon.
One thing is abundantly clear to me now after the events of today: Lilliluka Erde is a pragmatist.
While her fellow familia members happily chatted with the vouivre girl, she alone did not participate. In fact, she has been getting steadily more distant day by day, in inverse proportion to the increased familiarity displayed by her peers, almost as though she seeks to offset their efforts.
She has had fewer interactions with the vouivre girl than anyone else in the familia, and based on my observations, she seems to be actively avoiding her. The way she looks at her is no different from if she were a normal monster, and her eyes always seem coated in a thin layer of ice…until today, when, at Welf Crozzo’s encouragement, the vouivre girl came over and embraced the young Ms. Erde, causing her to erupt into a furious rage. Was it her own racial characteristics that were the problem?
She may be the one to watch out for, given our circumstances. This prum is material, calculating, and knows when to cut her losses. I wouldn’t go so far as to call her cruel, but if push comes to shove, as they say, then Lilliluka Erde will not hesitate to put the needs of her familia above anything else.
It is all due to a harsh past that has forced her to make difficult choices. According to my intelligence, she formerly belonged to Soma Familia. There, she lived at rock bottom, unable to avert her eyes to the world’s injustices and unable to see things in a positive light. As a result, she always views things with objectivity and emotional detachment.
She and Hestia seem to form the backbone of Hestia Familia. Given that the goddess cannot enter the Dungeon, I do wonder if it is Lilliluka Erde who takes command down there. Perhaps it is fair to call her the party strategist.
Out of all the characters in this familia, I find hers is the plight that resonates most highly with my own. Before Ouranos saved me, I was submerged deep in what might be termed the darkness of mankind, and there are times I see a little of myself in her eyes. Perhaps, when the time comes to reveal my hand, it is her I should seek out.
What I find most interesting, though, is how devoted she is to Bell Cranell. She clearly feels a great deal of affection for the boy, which in her case manifests as a desire to put herself in danger, shielding the boy from anyone who might do him harm. She is like a knight protecting her king—or perhaps a knight and his page is a more apt metaphor. The only difference between her and me is that I could only dream of possessing her adorable appearance.
…Oh no. I got a little carried away, there. What on earth have I written? Have I forgotten that Ouranos will read this?
I mean, I am sure he would absorb the whole thing stone-faced, as is his wont, but I’m not so sure my own nerves could take it. Perhaps I should prepare a second, edited journal? But then…
(The following paragraphs have been struck through and rewritten many times, and a section of the page has even been cut out.)
I digress.
I would like to focus next on Welf Crozzo. By contrast, his thoughts are always the farthest from my own, and I find it hardest to predict what he will do.
I am a humble mage, and he is a blacksmith. That alone puts us in entirely different worlds.
While there is no doubt he strives to support Bell Cranell, he is by no means subservient and possesses a fiery will—a pride that matches what he invests in his own work perhaps. He will not hesitate to turn down money and fame if obtaining them runs counter to his principles, no matter whose criticism he might invite. If he has decided a cause is just, then he will stick to it, whatever those around him have to say.
Of course, the same goes for whatever he considers unjust. And so, depending on the actions of the vouivre girl, he could very well turn out to be her ally or her enemy. I cannot predict which.
While mages such as myself act according to logic and reason, craftsmen decide their course with conviction. That is, they possess a code of conduct that aligns best with their beliefs. Often, this code of conduct inspires them to take action that we mages would never expect. This incalculable nature is the bane of our existence.
I may have referred to him as a moderating presence in previous pages, but that is only because I am yet unsure how to classify him. If I were forced to define his position in the familia, I would liken him to a trusted court adviser. Many in the group seek and value his opinion, even Lilliluka Erde—though she often hides her intent through curses as she does so. Perhaps, as a realist, she values his ability to grant the group a sense of direction and purpose.
Here is a conversation that occurred today:
“Mr. Welf? Have you forgotten what we talked about the other day? She’s a monster. You mustn’t get too close to her. If even you begin succumbing to emotion, Mr. Welf, then this familia is doomed.”
“You’re makin’ too big a deal out of it, Li’l E. Sometimes, you’ve got to be a little flexible. It’s just like in the forge, where the hardest metal is the hardest to work.”
“Are you calling Lilly stubborn?”
“I didn’t go that far. It’s just, you gotta know your enemy before you jump to conclusions. I know you’re worried about making mistakes, but you can always change your mind. Don’t forget that. That’s how I forge my weapons, too.”
“………”
“Why don’t you try hanging out with them for a change? I’ll give her the cold shoulder on your behalf.”
“…Shut up.”
That one exchange alone speaks volumes.
While Hestia Familia is only a recently established group, Welf Crozzo is its eldest member, possessing a wealth of experience he acquired during his time with Hephaistos Familia. Perhaps he assumes the role of an elder brother, helping his fledgling familia grow.
What an admirable familia. They may not admit it, but their personalities complement each other well. Perhaps one or two of them are too gullible, but the others more than make up for each other’s shortcomings.
Is it Hestia’s divinity? Or Bell Cranell’s humanity? Apart from him, all the other members are converts. Even in Orario, such a thing is rarely seen.
Day 4, Morning.
The excitement began early in Hestia Familia today. The goddess is usually kept busy by her part-time job, but today, she took some time off.
I must say, nothing I observed during the week indicated that this was a familia in such dire financial straits that their patron goddess should be forced to seek employment, but if the rumors are to be believed, then they owe a debt in the hundreds of millions of valis. Truly, there is no shortage of troubles for them.
Hestia seems to dote on the vouivre child at every opportunity. I am not sure whether this is due to some perceived rivalry with Haruhime Sanjouno, whom the child also fancies, or purely due to a fondness for children that transcends species.
Watching the two of them play merrily in the lush courtyard beneath the warm sunlight, I must admit that I felt myself quite moved. It was much like watching a quarrelsome elf and a dwarf join hands and dance, only many times more remarkable.
I could not possibly say how the goddess felt at that moment, sitting beneath a tree, with the vouivre girl in her lap. What I can say for certain is that she is a goddess of love. That much was clear from the gentle look in her eyes. The whole scene was so serene—it was almost enough to make me forget her usual rambunctious behavior.
Afterward, Bell Cranell returned, and upon waking, the vouivre girl called him and Hestia “Mommy” and “Daddy,” which was enough to make me want to rush in and immediately demand to know exactly what they had been teaching the poor girl. The two shared an embarrassed look and began laughing like one big happy family, but immediately after that, Lilliluka Erde ran in and started throwing accusations around, and the whole matter got quite out of hand. I, meanwhile, felt cheated for having been allowed a rare moment of sentimentality, only for it to all come crashing down.
But my futile quibbles aside, I am relieved that Hestia was the first god to speak to the vouivre girl, even more so than I am at Bell Cranell being the one to discover her.
If you knew Hestia, you might call it wishful optimism, but I think otherwise. As a goddess stripped of her omniscience, none have more reason to show concern than she, and yet she accepts the outcast without hesitation.
She treats her not as a representative of her species but as an individual. Not as a monster but as a being with a heart.
Ouranos was right to trust her. It is just as he said. She is a goddess of compassion. A warm hearth that shelters all those who seek its protection. Ouranos never doubted her for a moment, and I think I see why now. She is indeed worthy of the title, “warden of lost children.”
There is, however, one thing I must note, and that is that the vouivre girl seems to have inherited the goddess’s love of Jyaga Maru Kun…or perhaps it is fairer to say she has been taught it. Not a day has gone by wherein the goddess has not successfully bribed the girl with one of those potato treats, and the girl’s mindless devotion to the snack is staggering.
Surely, only a god could be capable of such a feat…
Oh, but my hands are quivering. Perhaps I’m more agitated than I thought. I can barely hold the pen still…
Day 4, Night.
It appears that the focus of this journal has inadvertently shifted somewhat, but at this stage, I may as well go all the way and touch on the important subject of Bell Cranell.
First, I must admit that I found observing him to pose a difficult challenge. His senses are remarkable, even for an upper-class adventurer, and I failed to keep count of the number of times his suspicions were raised.
He was truly like…an easily startled rabbit. Is that too harsh an assessment, I wonder?
To give my honest impression, he truly deserves his titles and praise. His aliases of Little Rookie and Record Holder are no mere embellishment.
The point is…it was hard work. Not so much for me as for Gafiel, my loyal familiar.
Of course, Gafiel always flies as silently as the night, but I also taught him never to come too close or to look at Bell Cranell directly. On top of this, upon his return, I always had to provide a mountain of rats to soothe his temper.
Over the past four days, the vouivre girl has very rarely left Bell Cranell’s side. She would always follow him into the bath as a matter of course, and when it came time to sleep, she would slip into his bed and cling to him as she slept, even while Hestia was being shouted at by the other womenfolk of the familia for attempting the same. Thus, Bell Cranell always had one thing or another to contend with, and I overheard Welf Crozzo stating that he was just like a father dealing with a newborn daughter, which I thought summed up his woes perfectly.
Although he has gotten used to it now, Bell Cranell would always panic when the vouivre girl hugged him in the early days. He would constantly be running around, screaming, panicking, not knowing what to do…Completely unprepared and unbecoming for a second-tier adventurer. If the people of this city saw him in that state, no doubt they would wonder just who the brave fighter Bell Cranell they saw projected on the mirrors during the War Game was.
And…this is merely the observations of a fool, but Bell Cranell seems to have bad luck with women. I do not mean that it is written in the stars but more that it seems to follow him around, or it makes him who he is—or perhaps the boy’s upbringing had something to do with it…I do not know.
Mortals favored by a goddess tend to suffer misfortune—or lead interesting lives, I should say. This is the case even if the goddess herself means no harm, for other gods conspire to stir the pot or to get themselves a piece of the action. I cannot say it always ends up like this, but I do wonder what will happen to the boy.
That said, however, I trust him just as well as I do Hestia when it comes to how much he cares for the vouivre girl. His expressions of apology, gratitude, and determination toward the other members of his familia would be hard to fake. You could say that his sincerity has moved me, and you would not be too wrong, but it is far more than that. It is blinding. At least for one such as me.
And at the same, I cannot deny he is still a child. That much is clear from the uncertainty and confusion he displayed when separated from the vouivre girl.
The boy has found no answers yet.
Something happened when the members of Hestia Familia were going to bed. Just as they all retreated inside the mansion, outside the reach of Gafiel’s eye, and I thought my day of useful surveillance was coming to an end, Bell Cranell and the vouivre girl left the bedroom and exited the mansion through a hallway window.
I was curious what they could be up to, but the pair climbed up to a part of the roof overlooking the courtyard and looked up at the sky. When I saw that through my oculus, I stepped outside and immediately understood. The whole firmament above was illuminated by countless silver stars set into the boundless night.
I suppose it had been the vouivre girl’s wish to see it. Watching her shimmering eyes, both Bell Cranell and I were forced to wear a bittersweet smile. Yet, in the end, the beautiful sky transfixed our eyes as it did hers.
And as we stood streets apart but in the same city, connected by the same summer sky, a bright spark cut across the curtain of night. A shooting star. It stole the vouivre girl’s breath away, and she turned to Bell Cranell excitedly to ask him precisely what she had just seen. The boy explained to her a tale often told to young children—that a wish must be made before the light fades—and despite the meteor having long since fizzled away to nothing by that point, the young girl closed her eyes and mouthed a few silent words.
Bell Cranell asked her what she had wished for, and the vouivre girl smiled and said:
“I wished that all of us could stay together forever.”
I still recall the look on Bell Cranell’s face when she said that. For a while, he said nothing, and then he beamed a smile quite unlike his usual one and said, “We will.”
At that moment, in all honesty, I felt despair. There was no conviction in those words. Bell Cranell had spoken them simply for the vouivre girl’s sake. He lied to her, just as he lied to himself, belittling the efforts of all those who work toward a peaceful world. He spoke nothing but empty platitudes while turning his back on the cruel, harsh truth.
The vouivre girl smiled and embraced him, but the look on Bell Cranell’s face was so terribly fragile.
The illusion cannot last.
I know this.
What I have seen within the halls of Hestia Familia is a glimpse of a better world, but it is not this world. Lilliluka Erde is correct, and the brave souls of that group cannot delay the inevitable. The day is fast approaching when I shall have to step in.
It is as I feared. A single familia, a single adventurer, cannot be called upon to shoulder the hopes and dreams of the entire Xenos race. Even sustaining the present status quo is too much for the boy, and his conscience gnaws at his mind constantly. Yet the world will not wait for his inner conflicts to be resolved.
What will his answer be, when the time comes?
Will he abandon the vouivre girl, as I have seen so many times before?
Will he bend to the consensus of his peers and opt to ignore the plight of these poor souls?
Or will he forge ahead with a third option? One I have not yet seen?
But I must stop all this wishful thinking before it gets the better of me. Even a shooting star cannot help me now.
The happy life that I have seen is just like that silvery streak—a flash in the pan, an ephemeral beauty that comes and goes in an instant.
One day, Hestia Familia will do as so many adventurers before them have done, and…
“…I should stop.”
My hand stills, ceasing the scribbles of my pen. Alone in a pitch-dark room, I look down at the page I have just written and lay my quill aside.
This is hardly a professional report. It reads more like a record of my woes—a personal diary of gloomy secrets. I cannot hand this to Ouranos, filled as it is with my own baseless projection and conjecture into the hearts of others.
Instead, I shall tell him this:
The vouivre girl is well. They have not harmed her.
If there is any hope to be found, it is not a beacon but a faint, nebulous light. As of now, it is unformed. As of now, they struggle blindly. Perhaps, in time, that dust will coalesce into a star, but perhaps it will not. Either way, it is something to be protected.
“………”
But that changes nothing. Soon, these people will be forced to confront an unpalatable truth. And I will be forced to watch on and bear witness to what kind of answer Bell Cranell will give.
I wish him the best of luck. For the smiles I saw in that mansion courtyard cannot be found any other way.
“…Don’t you think so, too, Gafiel?”
In a dark and dusty sanctum, nestled among old books, a sage spoke to their owl. The bird closed its eyes and hooted as if in agreement.
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