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"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to look."
Startled by Hestia's reaction, Bell immediately shrank back with the frightened expression of a startled rabbit.
The sight made Hestia freeze awkwardly.
…Wait.
She had only meant to remind the new member not to casually peek at other people's status sheets.
Now Bell looked so terrified that it made Hestia feel like some kind of cruel villain.
For a brief moment, a strange mental image appeared in her head.
Anos was the husband.
Bell was the shy young bride.
And she was the overbearing mother-in-law bullying the poor girl.
"…Huh?"
Shaking the ridiculous thought away, Hestia looked even more embarrassed.
"Well, Hestia, it's not really a big deal."
Anos smiled calmly.
"If those stats somehow spread around, it might actually attract people to join our familia."
He said it because he had complete confidence in his ability to deal with whatever attention it brought.
"And besides," he added.
"I trust Bell wouldn't spread it around."
Anos trusted her.
Even if he were a stranger asking her to keep a secret, Bell would keep it.
Now that they were part of the same familia and that he had already become someone she admired it was even more certain.
"…!"
Hearing those words of trust, Bell silently made another promise to herself.
She would become someone worthy of standing beside Anos.
No matter what it took.
…
The next day.
After a long stretch of travel, the group finally approached their destination.
Orario.
The city where the gods gathered.
The gateway to the Dungeon.
A place where countless adventurers chased their dreams.
And where just as many were buried beneath those dreams.
A city filled with gods.
A city filled with divine games played for amusement.
This—
Was Orario.
…
"We're here."
As soon as Anos stepped fully into the city's boundary, he quietly exhaled.
A purple treasure chest had actually spawned earlier near the outskirts.
Its unlocking condition had been simple.
Arrive in Orario.
Whether he wanted to trigger more treasure chests, level up quickly, or interact with more gods—
Coming here had been inevitable.
A familiar notification sounded.
[Ding!]
[Purple Treasure Chest Opened.]
[Reward Acquired: Authority – The Silver Hand of Severance.]
The Silver Hand of Severance
A divine authority originating from the Celtic god Nuada.
When activated, the user's flesh arm transforms into a silver metallic arm.
By channeling divine power into a weapon, the wielder gains the ability to unleash miraculous force.
It grants a blade capable of cutting through anything.
The weapon does not even have to be a sword.
A toothpick or a tree branch can become a divine blade.
The silver substance forming the arm can shape itself into various magical swords, each capable of manifesting different abilities.
"…Divine authority."
Anos murmured thoughtfully.
A power belonging to a god.
Combined with One-Blade Asura and his Seven Mystic Blades, this ability could produce terrifying results.
There was just one problem.
"I really wanted to be a mage."
Anos rubbed his forehead.
He had genuinely planned to focus on magic.
Instead, he was turning into a battle mage specializing in close combat.
"Well… It's still a powerful ability."
When fueled by divine power, the Silver Hand's potential would be enormous.
After his reincarnation, Anos had already gained divine power.
His divine energy and sacred energy reinforced one another, growing stronger together.
Which meant this authority would function even better in his hands than in the hands of those who merely borrowed such power.
"This… is Orario."
Bell stared at the massive city ahead of them, filled with people and endless possibilities.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Bell, save the sightseeing for later. It's getting late."
Hestia wagged her finger like a strict teacher.
"We need to register both of you as adventurers and find somewhere to stay tonight."
She puffed out her chest proudly.
After all, she was a very reliable goddess.
"Right," Anos said thoughtfully.
"And there's something important we still need to do."
"What is it?" Bell asked eagerly.
Her mind immediately jumped to one possibility.
Adventure.
In other words—
Fighting monsters.
"Pay off a debt."
Anos answered seriously.
"…Huh?"
Bell's face immediately fell.
Wait.
Did their family start out already in debt?
That really did sound like the beginning of a brutal path.
But…
She glanced at Anos beside her.
If she were with him, she felt certain they could overcome anything.
Hestia, on the other hand—
Was sweating profusely.
During their travels, Anos had mentioned that he possessed certain abilities not displayed on a status sheet.
Something like a form of pseudo-omniscience.
He could occasionally know things without being told.
Which meant there was only one person he could be referring to.
The person she owed money to.
"Um… Anos… you already know, don't you?"
Hestia nervously tugged at her twin ponytails and gave an awkward smile.
"It's fine," Anos said with a sigh.
"I'll pay it back, After all, it's a shared debt now."
Fortunately, he had already planned to earn money in Orario.
Repaying Hestia's debt was just an extra step.
Compared to the wealth he intended to earn, her small loan was barely worth mentioning.
"HESTIA!"
And just as they stepped into the city—
Fate arrived right on schedule.
"Where the hell have you been, you little freeloader?!"
A cloud of dust exploded down the street as a figure rushed toward them at terrifying speed.
Flaming red hair.
An eyepatch covering one eye.
There was no mistaking her.
The goddess Hephaestus had arrived to collect her debt.
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