Bell was sitting besides Koenji on the front seat of the carriage while their contingent moved out of Orario and into the wilderness in a straight formation.
His body was relaxed, yet his mind was elsewhere, on the challenges awaiting him in somehow making Goddess Astraea accept him in her Familia, along with other future threats like the Apollo Familia, Ishtar Familia, Evilus, Enyo, Antares and the final boss, The One Eyed Black Dragon.
The final boss of *Danmachi* was someone who already had half a foot outside the laws of Tenkai and had touched the Divine.
Even thinking about going against that dragon gave him a massive headache. Even the original Bell's Aunt—Alfia—called the Incarnation of talent, along with Albert Wallerstein and the Level 9 Empress from Hera Familia couldn't bring that dragon down.
The carriage Bell was sitting in gave a sudden jerk and stopped as the whole contingent was suddenly forced to halt.
"It seems like we've run into some surface monsters.... Bell, quickly hide inside the carriage and wait for the Level 1 adventurer we've hired to secure the contingent to clean them all up." Koenji spoke with a hint of anxiety and pulled a dagger from his waist. Getting down from the carriage cautiously.
Bell watched Koenji keep a critical eye on the surroundings with caution as he too went down from the carriage to help in any way he could.
Suddenly, Bell heard the bushes to their left shake as two small creatures with green skin, elongated ears and small bodies tumbled out of the bushes, pointing the crude wooden clubs in their hands towards Bell and Koenji.
Bell saw Koenji walk towards the goblins with a knife in hand and a tremble in his steps.
He felt adrenaline start to roar through his veins as he watched Koenji swing his knife towards the face of one of the goblins, cutting it apart.
Another goblin swung his wooden club straight at Koenji's torso, which he failed to dodge, the club connecting to his torso with a bang, making him tumble to the ground.
Bell wanted to move, but his legs were frozen solid in fear, the roar of adrenaline resounding louder as his heart started to beat absurdly fast.
He watched as the goblin who stuck Koenji pulled the club above it's head to bring it down on Koenji's prone form on the ground.
His fear increased, but his heart beat even more than his fear, the absurd amount of adrenaline in his veins starting to dull his emotions and thoughts.
Yet even then, his feet refused to move, feeling as if they were bound by countless hands, making his legs feel as heavy as mountains.
... That was when he heard it, a voice resounding in his mind, as sudden as a distant roar of thunder.
Why do you fear ******? Fear arises from clinging to something - outcomes, people, things and yourself.....
So then why do you cling to your weakness?
Why do you cling to your life?
Anything born..... has to die.
******, do..... not what your fear dictates but what your heart says.
Just hearing that voice seemed to awaken strength within him, strength he did not know he had.
His legs started to move on their own as he unconsciously put his hand inside the leather sachet on his back, pulling out the same stone which was responsible for his transmigration and had sent the original Bell to heaven.
It was rough to the touch with crusted blood covering it's surface, Bell didn't have time to focus on these details as he started running towards the goblin about to bring down it's club upon Koenji.
Bell estimated that with the distance between him, his current speed and the goblin's movement, by the time he reached them, Koenji would probably have joined the original Bell in heaven...so there was only one thing left he could do.
He calculated the approximate trajectory as he pulled his hand backwards while running towards them and gave a yolo throw. Yelling inside his mind.
Bitch, I've watched *Kuroko No Basket*, can your goblin brain even comprehend it!?
The rock thrown by Bell directly slammed into the face of the goblin about to swing it's club, directly smashing all of the rotten teeth of the goblin outside it's mouth.
The goblin tumbled to the ground, it's club hitting it's own head, directly making it faint.
Bell, ignoring the fainted goblin, ran up to Koenji and helped him up as the other goblin, with a deep cut on it's face and blood dripping from it's ugly face got up from the ground and charged towards them after watching it's partner get the highest form of dental care.
Without thinking, Bell swung his leg in the direction of the charging goblin, his kick directly landing on the poor goblin's crotch. A deep crunch was heard.
Critical Hit.
The goblin howled as if someone had stolen it's imaginary wife & children and fainted directly, the hit being critical to both the body and mind.
Koenji watched as Bell, who gently talked to him some time ago, took 'gentle' care of those two poor goblins, swearing to never get on his bad side.
"Koenji...is there anyone inside the contingent who knows medicine or healing?"
Bell gently helped Koenji back to the carriage and asked with worry while looking at Koenji holding his sides.
"Bell, go quickly and call Miss Carmen from the carriage two carriages ahead of ours, and don't worry, it was just a slight scratch." Koenji said with fake bravado and a slightly trembling voice to muffle the pain at his sides.
Bell ran quickly to Miss Carmen and bumped into her talking with the Level 1 adventurer who had just taken care of all the goblins at the front.
He introduced himself as Tannin, the adventurer hired to protect the contingent.
Bell greeted him and quickly took Miss Carmen to treat Koenji while Tannin followed to finish off those fainted goblins.
.
As Bell watched Koenji being scolded while being treated by Miss Carmen, the worry in his heart finally settled.
At least my first fight was acceptable, right? Bell asked this clueless question to himself after destroying the whole family of one goblin and rearranging the face of the other.