As for that whole matter concerning the 'Apollo' Familia, along with the actions that would follow, Ron ultimately did not tell Hestia about it.
The reason was simple.
Even if she knew, there would be no way to resolve it; it would only add unnecessary worry. Instead, he selectively told her everything about Takemikazuchi and Mikoto's transfer application.
Faced with the current manpower shortage and various other factors such as the Familia's expedition, Hestia did not refuse. Besides—back in the heavens, she had already had a good relationship with Takemikazuchi. Taking appropriate care of the other party's child was only natural.
Only—
After completing the Falna update, she lightly clapped her hands and said with a sigh, "From today onward, you're a member of the Hestia Familia."
"Yamato Mikoto."
A change of Familia allegiance like this was an unprecedented experience for Mikoto. Yet even after only a brief period of contact, she could clearly feel… the friendly attitude of her new goddess.
She quickly expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Hestia."
"Oh."
"Actually, the reason you chose to join my Familia was probably because you saw… the uniqueness about Ron. I don't have any objection to that."
It wasn't that she didn't trust Takemikazuchi's judgment of character.
Precisely because of that, Hestia needed to make this clear to Mikoto in particular—to avoid unintentionally exposing the secrets Ron carried to the public eye.
The girl revealed a rare look of fatigue, yet in her tone there was pride she could not suppress.
"As you can see."
"The secret Ron bears has allowed him, in just sixteen days, to break through to Level 2. But the effort he has put in—only I have seen it most clearly."
"…"
After receiving Hestia's confirmation once again, even though she had already known in advance, it still brought an extremely powerful shock to her heart. As for what Hestia was about to say next, Mikoto could guess.
She withdrew the smile spreading across her face, her attitude becoming extremely serious: "Lady Hestia, no matter what, I will never reveal anything about Ron to anyone else—including Lord Takemikazuchi."
"Then I'm relieved."
"As for what else to say… I hope you can achieve the dream you seek within the Hestia Familia." After thinking for a moment, the girl offered her sincere blessing.
...
The process of transferring Familias had indeed gone unprecedentedly smoothly.
But when Mikoto returned to her room, after experiencing the 'Familia Expedition' incident, she should, by all logic, have been exhausted. Yet she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
It was not anxiety—purely anticipation for the brand-new Dungeon exploration.
After finally enduring until dawn, a light knock came from the door. When she pushed it open, she saw Ron fully armed and already prepared.
As if confirming something, the girl turned her head to look toward the window of her room. At this moment, the sky over Orario was just beginning to brighten.
Mikoto's mood was difficult to describe. If she had to put it into words, it would probably be: When someone more talented than you is working hard, what right do you have to slack off?
She raised both hands and lightly patted her cheeks.
"Good morning, Ron. Are we setting off… to explore the Dungeon? Please wait a moment—I'll be ready right away."
"You can take your time."
"…"
Why get up so early?
Of course, that question should be directed at Hestia—why abandon a perfectly good bed to squeeze onto the sofa with him? The key point was that this made close physical contact unavoidable.
Being at a hot-blooded age, Ron could only forcibly shift his attention, focusing instead on the tenth Floor of the Dungeon—the 'Fog Gate' whose destination ahead was unknown.
It wasn't until Mikoto quickly finished washing up and stood before him fully armed.
To be honest, the girl's figure was indeed tall and slender. But from the standpoint of equipment, there was not the slightest trace of a Soulslike style—this absolutely would not do.
Ron swiftly withdrew his gaze.
He explained: "Once our finances improve a bit, you really need to replace this set of equipment. At the very least, you should take mine as a reference. Heavy armor is definitely the right choice."
"…All right."
As for what armor could truly protect against?
Ron did not have an exact answer either. He could only explain vaguely: "Considering the difficulty of exploring the Dungeon, the effect of armor is probably this—when facing those special monsters, it lets you swing one more strike."
"Maybe…"
"That crucial strike could change the situation, right?"
After leaving the communal residence, taking into account that the destination of the 'Fog Gate' was filled with uncertainty, going back and forth to Orario for supplies would surely be extremely difficult.
Along the alley, Ron led Mikoto toward the Hostess of Fertility.
It was early morning. Although the restaurant had not yet opened for business, he still caught sight of the elf girl in the distance who was waiting for him.
Who knew what kind of danger might be waiting ahead?
And the final insurance measure was Ryuu, a Level 4 adventurer. If he had not returned by evening, then he would have no choice but to ask her to head to the Fog Gate on the tenth Floor to carry out a rescue.
"Ryuu-senpai."
The girl was truly very beautiful.
Originally an iceberg-type cold beauty, with slender elf ears, delicate features that rarely smiled, and that leaf-colored maid uniform—it revealed a strong sense of contrastive charm.
When she noticed Ron fully armed, Ryuu guessed that—this guy was probably heading to explore the Dungeon today and had come specifically to inform her.
How should such a situation be handled?
She did not even notice the faint sense of loss in her heart. Just as Ryuu was about to return to the restaurant, she saw Ron running toward her.
The girl slowed her pace slightly as she pushed the door open.
Only when Ron called her name did Ryuu finally stop. Her calm yet puzzled gaze swept toward the big boy in front of her.
"Ryuu-senpai."
"Mm?"
"Well… there's something I might need to ask of you."
So he had come to her because he needed something.
The girl's slender willow-like brows knit slightly, but she did not refuse. After all, she had previously agreed to Ron. Still, seeing him so serious, Ryuu felt a trace of curiosity.
"What is it?"
"In the area of the tenth Floor, I discovered a gate that leads to another region. I'm planning to explore it today. If I don't come back to find you by evening…"
Since he was troubling her, Ron felt somewhat embarrassed and merely directed a requesting gaze toward the elf girl.
"I understand…"
Ryuu did not give a concrete reply and returned to the restaurant under Ron's gaze.
It was not out of resentment.
After all, when they had encountered the Grafted Scion in the Dungeon, this guy had insisted on explaining things only afterward, which had caused her mood at the time to become somewhat unsettled.
But in reality… the girl had already begun calculating how she could quietly slip away in the evening—when the restaurant would be at its busiest—without being caught by Mama Mia.
After thinking it over, the only one who could help seemed to be that foolish catgirl!
The slight furrow in Ryuu's brows quietly eased, and her mood lightened a little. 'When it comes to skipping work… Anya is much more experienced than I am.'
'Finding her shouldn't be a problem, right?'
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