When he returned to Orario, it was close to evening. Even the breeze brushing against him carried a cool hint of freshness. After handing over the Dungeon's spoils to Mikoto for processing, Ron's objective was extremely clear.
Hephaestus Weapon Shop.
The moment he arrived, he saw Hestia, who had clearly prepared in advance. She was still wearing her familiar white dress and had not unlocked the special evening-gown-limited outfit.
Instead, it was the square oilcloth-wrapped bundle placed beside the girl that drew Ron's attention.
"You're back..."
"I thought I'd have to wait a while."
No matter which way the War Game ended up leaning, it was a good outcome for Hestia. She no longer had the worries she had at the beginning. After Ron set down the various pieces of equipment he had been carrying, like someone proudly showing off an excellent battle result, the girl spoke with pride in her tone: "Your evening suit has already been custom-made. Go try it on in the office. Oh, right—you probably haven't showered yet."
"I'll take you to the bathroom first."
"..."
Ron had wanted to say that he could go back to the shared dormitory and lie down first.
But he truly could not resist Hestia's enthusiasm. So he went to the bathroom and thoroughly washed away the sticky feeling left by repeatedly dried sweat.
Finally, he looked at the brand-new full black suit.
Reaching out to touch it, the fabric felt exceptionally smooth. From the stitching details at the cuffs, he could already vaguely guess that this outfit must have been expensive.
"Go on, try it."
"I even had the tailor shop work overtime to custom-make it. It'll definitely fit. After all, I personally gathered and provided all your measurements."
Ron already had an excellent foundation.
After becoming an adventurer, the muscle definition shaped by high-intensity training would absolutely give the suit a sharp, upright look. It was just that Hestia had not realized the issue.
It was only upon hearing those words that the corner of Ron's mouth could not help but twitch. His tone remained as gentle as possible: "I don't recall giving Lady Hestia any of those body measurements."
"..."
Hestia blinked, and her smile gradually faded.
Faced with Ron's questioning, she could hardly say that those body measurements had all been secretly collected last night while he was fast asleep, could she?
She had even been able to feel the strong beating of his heart.
She decisively and stiffly changed the subject: "That's not important."
"..."
"For now, let's first see whether the suit actually fits. The banquet is probably about to start. No matter what, it's being hosted by that guy Apollo."
"Even if it's just eating, we have to eat enough to make it worth it!"
"Um… Lady Hestia, where is your evening gown?"
That was a good question, but she did not want to answer it.
The girl avoided Ron's gaze. As she rose onto her tiptoes and reached out to smooth the wrinkles at her shoulder, she thought for a moment and finally found a suitable excuse.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, perfectly displaying her already remarkably well-proportioned figure.
"Mm."
Hestia's smile was radiant, yet the question she threw out was utterly lethal: "Ron, do you think I don't look good dressed like this?"
"You are indeed the best-looking."
"..."
The conversation in the office was not completely soundproof. Upon hearing the specific content, Hephaestus, dressed in a wine-red evening gown, had a face full of question marks.
Unable to bear looking directly at it, she shifted her gaze toward the street outside the window.
Why did it feel like…
Hestia had truly started treating the weapon shop as her own home?
However, after learning the real reason behind Apollo's banquet invitation, she could only repeatedly persuade herself to treat it as nothing more than an ordinary spectator's ticket fee.
Ron had grown to the point where he could now stand on his own.
Hephaestus could at least be considered a witness. Faced with the Apollo Familia, which had no real chance of victory, he still made such a high-risk choice.
He had not even sought her help.
"Interesting…"
"He couldn't possibly raise his adventurer level to Lv3 in such a short time, could he?"
Thinking of this, a trace of anticipation surfaced in her deep gaze. As a god, without using divine power, she herself could not deduce the future outcome.
No god could refuse that feeling.
Hephaestus murmured softly, "In a War Game with such an obvious disparity in strength, there will probably be gods opening betting pools. Should I go have a little fun too?"
When the office door was pushed open again, Hestia stepped out first. Hephaestus directly ignored her and fixed a scrutinizing gaze on the neatly suited, handsome young man behind her.
Even she could not help but click her tongue.
"Mm…"
"Compared to the set of weapon gear you usually wear, this is much more pleasing to the eye."
"That's called being steady."
Ron explained without changing his expression.
He did not dwell too much on the matter of attire. Looking at Hestia standing beside him with a blooming smile, his tone was relaxed, yet filled with certainty: "Shall we set off?"
"Of course."
After answering Ron, Hestia did not immediately step forward. It was only when the young man gently took her hands that a smile from the bottom of her heart finally blossomed across her face.
...
Apollo Familia Residence.
Located in the "Southwest Main Street" district, it did not take much time to get there from the weapon shop. Looking at the extremely luxurious mansion before him, complete with a spacious garden, Ron could only say he felt very envious.
Given Orario's property prices, unless one had seized the timing advantage and built this mansion before the Labyrinth City developed to its current scale, the price would be at least 200–300 million Valis.
After passing the identity verification of the Apollo Familia members, Ron held Hestia's hand and smoothly entered the mansion under the peculiar gazes of those adventurers.
"This garden feels pretty nice."
"Once we finally have some free time, we can have afternoon tea here and eat some desserts…"
Compared to Ron's composure, Hestia's personality was clearly much more cheerful. Her gaze examined the garden in front of the mansion, contrasting it with their small yet cozy shared dormitory room.
As for what to do after truly accepting Apollo's War Game, she did not ask. The girl believed that Ron would definitely have a way.
So they might as well pop the champagne in advance!
"No problem."
"We'll be living in a grand mansion in Orario too…"
"..."
...
Top floor of the mansion.
In the most luxurious top-floor room facing the rising sun, after receiving a report from his follower that Ron and Hestia had arrived, Apollo stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, observing.
Hestia…
When he saw that familiar figure, even the scene of being rejected in the heavens remained vivid in his mind. It could not quite be called hatred toward her.
However, when Apollo noticed Ron standing beside Hestia, his expression rarely stiffened.
Compared to his follower Hyakinthos, Ron was clearly a different type… especially in a well-tailored suit, which made his temperament appear particularly capable and sharp.
He did not possess a strikingly stunning appearance at first glance, yet for some reason, Apollo found it difficult to take his eyes off the young man. Perhaps Ron possessed a talent that even a god would sigh over.
Thinking that in the future he would become his own possession, and yet at this moment was holding Hestia's hand, Apollo did not know why he lost his composure. He only felt the flames of jealousy raging within his heart, and decisively instructed the follower behind him: "Mm…"
"The main characters of the banquet have also arrived. It's time to begin!"
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