After all, the overall exploration intensity of a Soulslike Dungeon was right there for all to see. The rapid improvement of his various ability values was basically within Ron's expectations.
Judging by the trend of developments to come, as long as he could buy time for the "War Game," he was still confident that, before it began, he could raise the average of all his ability values to the level of Rank B.
If he were to take action in the Dungeon, even now, Ron was confident he could pull off a first-encounter kill against Hyakinthos, and even unleash a bit of Soulslike malice on them.
But that was not the outcome he wanted.
First of all, the secrets on his body would, to a great extent, be discovered by the Guild. And without a War Game, directly plundering Apollo's property… was basically impossible.
"If we want to rapidly raise the strength of the Hestia Familia to a level that can attract adventurers to join, this War Game is absolutely unavoidable."
Looking at the parchment that was gradually turning into ashes, Ron calmly stated the facts.
The benefits would only be greater than expected. He could even use this opportunity to truly step onto Orario's stage, and there would not be so many random nobodies coming to stir up trouble.
"As long as you're confident, that's enough."
Even in the worst-case scenario, it would merely mean leaving Orario with Ron. No matter what, there were still other cities to live in—at most, it would just be starting over somewhere else.
Hestia was rather open-minded about it.
Most importantly, in this banquet invitation from Apollo, regardless of the final result, it was an opportunity to declare sovereignty to those gods who were coveting Ron.
However, when she saw Ron put on his shirt and prepare to leave the communal residence, the girl could not help but ask:
"This is…?"
"I'm heading out to make some preparations. No matter what, we have to make use of our status as a weak Familia and create as favorable conditions as possible for the War Game."
The facts were right there.
Ron could not let hot blood rush to his head and pretend he did not see them. The reality was that there was a huge gap in strength between the Hestia Familia and the Apollo Familia.
As for the final format of the War Game, it would likewise be drawn and selected by the gods. The most advantageous for their side would naturally be an "Arena Match," but they also had to be prepared for a "Siege Battle."
Even if only a small portion of the Apollo Familia's members had reached Lv.2, if they truly swarmed and attacked together, without a method to secure a swift victory, he would most likely have his stamina completely drained in a battle of attrition and fall on the eve of victory.
Still going to ask the Takemikazuchi Familia for help?
Relying solely on Kashima Ouka, a Lv.2 adventurer, would not be of any real use. The best option was Ryuu, who was currently working at The Hostess of Fertility.
...
Walking along Adventurer's Street, Ron turned into the area of West Main Street. There was no scene of being surrounded by the Apollo Familia. Looking at the lively restaurant ahead that was open for business—
"The Hostess of Fertility."
Standing at the entrance was the most popular poster girl of the restaurant, Syr Flova. Her fair, youthful cheeks carried the gentle smile of a girl next door.
When she noticed Ron, a trace of curiosity and scrutiny flickered through her clear, water-like eyes that had originally been soft and gentle—but more than that, there was genuine inner conflict.
That was right…
The radiance contained within a soul was the projection of an adventurer's character and temperament. In Orario, she had encountered countless adventurers of all kinds.
Within those motley undertones of souls, Syr had only ever seen things like "greed," "desire," "sloth," and the like. There was basically no soul-light that made her feel dazzled or stirred her interest.
But the Ron before her was the opposite extreme.
She had never seen such a chaotic soul. Lust, gluttony, scheming ambition, greed… it was like being thrown into a dye vat and soaked repeatedly.
Even so, compared to the legend of the world's fastest breakthrough that Ron had created, those flaws could actually be ignored. The key point was that those were merely surface colors.
Beneath that mottled grime, the soul Ron truly possessed was not the pure white that ordinary people might have, but a scarlet hue woven from madness and bloodshed.
To be honest, she had never seen anything this outrageous.
Most importantly, Ron's goddess was Hestia. The faint interest she had felt due to his talent had completely dissipated once she learned who his goddess was.
'Perhaps, from the perspective of an onlooker, watching how far Ron will ultimately grow should be the best choice for me.'
In the past, she had not exactly had refined tastes.
Even the members of her Familia had gathered because of their one-sided affection for her. Now, Syr—Freya—only wanted to find a partner of the soul.
If she had to use someone as a reference… then Syr believed that as long as it was not someone like Ron, that would be fine.
As for why Ryuu, as an elf, did not feel repulsed by Ron, she could not understand it either. She could even take this novel angle to enjoy gossip about her friend.
It was rather interesting.
"Good evening, Mr. Ron."
A sweet smile blossomed on the girl's face, though her tone inevitably carried a trace of teasing. "May I ask—are you here to dine, or to see Ryuu?"
"If you're here to see Ryuu…"
"Then you may have to wait a moment. She's still busy for now."
"Alright."
Ron had already had dinner with Hestia back at the communal residence, so his purpose in coming to The Hostess of Fertility this time was very clear.
After finding an empty seat at the counter, he ordered a glass of iced sparkling orange juice from the busy shop owner, Mia. After layers of refinement, even the taste rivaled beverages from his previous life.
'Fanta.'
"The flavor's pretty spot-on…"
While he was waiting for Ryuu to finish up, the sudden sensation of being watched descended upon Ron's mind. That gaze carried a strong sense of scrutiny.
When he turned his head, he saw a black-haired girl wearing a leaf-colored maid uniform, her hand gently rubbing her cheek. She was bent slightly forward, intently examining his… butt.
As an adventurer, her figure was far from tall.
The tail symbolizing her identity as a "cat person" made it certain that the black cat ears atop her head were not some decorative prop for a peculiar kind of play.
Chloe Rollo.
If Ron remembered correctly—that was the one in front of him.
Even when their eyes met, the girl remained utterly fearless. She lightly stroked her cheek, and in the end, her gaze was even tinged with regret.
"How about a bet?"
"…"
"If I know your name, can I touch your butt?" Chloe spoke casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Of course she knew Ron.
Even though he was not the shota type she preferred, his hips really did look good. Indulging her hands a little wouldn't count as betraying Ryuu, right?
'There's always someone stronger!'
When he had first met Ryuu, he had directly asked her out on a date. Thinking back on that scene, even Ron felt that he had been something else.
He hadn't expected something even more outrageous to happen.
Right after that, he saw the hopeless elf approach with a cold expression, slamming a tray heavily onto the table. It felt as though the temperature of the air dropped with the girl's arrival.
Seemingly noticing the confusion in Ron's eyes, Ryuu reached out and grabbed the sash tied around Chloe's maid uniform, lifting her straight up before heading toward the tavern's storage room.
The heavy sound of a door being slammed shut rang out abruptly.
Bang!
"Why does it feel like Senior Ryuu is a little cute too?"
The lively atmosphere of the tavern froze briefly because of the interruption, and as a result, Ron's remark was completely heard by the hopeless elf not far away.
Then, the girl fled toward the kitchen in a flustered panic.
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