Chapter 970: Chapter 970: You Can Rest Now
After repeatedly confirming the situation, Bell returned to his home in the Danmachi world.
He made an "OK" gesture toward his mother and Miss Futari, who were waiting for the outcome.
"No problem. They’ve already confirmed my threat level over there. As long as I don’t deliberately move closer to the ’Miniature World,’ they’re basically resigned to letting me develop however I want. They won’t interfere unless I take the initiative."
Hearing that, Meteria finally let out a long breath.
"Phew. I really thought that naughty child of yours would end up being targeted by the ’Miniature World.’"
That made Bell laugh.
"They’d come after me? With what? Just because I caught them off guard once, they’d give up their own future path?"
"I’m telling you, if any of them even entertained that thought, the three-digit God would jump out and slap some sense into those idiots."
"Giving up their shot at becoming a single-digit just because they’re angry? If that’s really their level, then I might as well just connect directly to ’Human History’ right now."
Bell was counting on the fact that those people wouldn’t dare do something like that, nor would they dare get hopelessly entangled with a troublemaker like him.
If he hadn’t been sure of that, there was no way he would have stepped out to provoke the Double-Digits of the ’Miniature World’ in the first place. That would have been nothing but asking for trouble.
"Meteria, don’t you know your own child’s personality by now? He only takes risks after confirming everything. He’s not stupid in the slightest."
Thinking back to how restless Meteria had been earlier, Shiki Ryougi couldn’t help smiling.
She understood very well that Bell was never the kind of person to quietly swallow a loss. Before taking action, he would think things through over and over again—especially when interests were involved—carefully weighing the gains, losses, and hidden exchanges. In this respect, he was always cautious and thorough.
"He’s always been cautious even when faced with my temptations. Did you really think he’d end up losing out?"
"But honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you this worried."
Shiki Ryougi teased her lightly.
That drew a sideways glance from Bell.
"Oh? My dear mother is actually worried about me?"
The heavy teasing made Meteria puff out her cheeks and glare at the two of them, clearly unwilling to say another word.
Bell and Shiki Ryougi exchanged a smile and sat back down.
Bell relaxed a little, then turned serious as he looked at Shiki Ryougi.
"Now that the warning to the ’Miniature World’ has been delivered, the next step is the follow-up relocation work."
"So soon? Weren’t you the one who asked for three months?" Shiki Ryougi asked.
Bell nodded slightly, then shook his head again.
"The people in the main world get three months of breathing room to prepare. Things on the Singularity side can be handled first. There aren’t many ordinary people there, so transferring them won’t have much impact. It’ll serve as an adjustment period for the new world."
"We’ll only give ordinary people some leeway. The Heroic Spirits and gods can wait. They’ll follow the same schedule as the humans in the main world."
"And it’s not just for convenience. I also need to properly test the newly created world. I have to place the core inside it and run some checks."
Bell trusted Shiki Ryougi deeply, including her ability to build the foundation of a world. Even so, that didn’t mean he could skip testing, especially when it came to the world core he was responsible for.
"If that’s your decision, then we’ll go with it."
Thinking about Bell’s personality, Shiki Ryougi sighed softly and didn’t raise further objections.
She understood him too well. Sometimes his caution was admirable, but other times it made dealing with him exhausting.
Of course, she didn’t deny that being cautious was usually a good thing. What worried her was when that caution went too far.
"Bell, I think you need to rest for a while."
Even Shiki Ryougi felt that strongly enough for her tone to unconsciously grow heavier.
"Now?"
Bell frowned. He knew he needed time to relax mentally. Too many things had happened recently, pushing him beyond his usual limits. But physically, he didn’t feel all that tired, which made him think he could keep going a bit longer.
"You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately. Some things can’t be solved just by getting stronger, especially when it comes to your mental state."
Shiki Ryougi’s voice became more serious, her words more deliberate.
"She’s right, you bad child. You need some proper rest and relaxation right now."
It wasn’t just Shiki Ryougi. Even Meteria agreed.
Though she was always bickering with her child, that bickering itself was a form of communication between mother and son.
Meteria understood her child’s condition well. After long periods of work, training, and dealing with various matters, his mind needed to unwind. Otherwise, working nonstop for too long would leave him in a terrible state.
"Now, go find those girls and fall asleep in their arms. Everything else can wait until you wake up tomorrow."
Bell’s facial muscles twitched. Was it really appropriate for a mother to say something like that?
Still, he accepted the concern.
"Alright. We’ll stop here for today. I’ll go get some sleep too. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."
Long after Bell had left, Shiki Ryougi finally spoke again, her voice quiet.
"We’ve really been pushing him too hard lately."
"In such a short time, he’s gone through a four-digit advancement, dungeon exploration, self-stabilization, and even a three-digit advancement. Now he’s also helping with building a new world and exposing himself directly to the ’Miniature World.’"
With each sentence, a trace of pity appeared in Shiki Ryougi’s eyes.
"He never says he’s tired. He even plans to keep going."
"You and I both know why that child forces himself so much."
Meteria let out a soft, complicated "Mm," then nodded.
"That child who treats everything as a matter of利益 is repaying debts."
"On the surface, he looks extremely mercenary, treating everything as an exchange. But when it comes to repaying debts, he pays back tenfold, cutting off all karmic ties completely. He’s colder than anyone, yet also more passionate than anyone."
"It’s just that... he seems to have given up on communicating with others."
"And the fact that he treats me, his own mother, the same way... honestly hurts a little."
Meteria’s complaint earned her a sharp glare from Shiki Ryougi.
"He knows that even family accounts need to be settled clearly, idiot."
"You’re his mother, yes. But once he understood your calculations, how could he not repay the debt of giving him life?"
"And this time, he’s even exposed himself completely. You can tell just how strong his desire to settle that debt is."
Shiki Ryougi saw it clearly.
"Don’t bind that child with personal gain. His weakness has never been profit—it’s emotion."
Meteria suddenly widened her eyes, staring at Shiki Ryougi in disbelief.
"Hey, wait. You’re not seriously planning to do that, are you?"
Shiki Ryougi didn’t answer. She simply turned away with a faint smile.
"Who knows? I’ve never really experienced love before. Maybe trying it once wouldn’t be so bad."
That answer left Meteria standing there, completely stunned.
