Northwest District.
Cain led Lili as they walked one after the other into a derelict church.
"Lord Cain, do you usually sleep here?" Lili asked while glancing around in confusion.
The walls, long neglected, were riddled with cracks, and the pulpit and floor were covered in a thick layer of dust.
In the pitch black night, the abandoned church, devoid of any light, felt as cold and eerie as a haunted house. It hardly looked like a place suitable for living.
"Not up here. I live downstairs."
Cain opened a hatch that led underground, revealing a passage illuminated by torches.
"..."
That did not seem much better.
Lili recalled what Cain had said earlier.
"[I'm a bit short on money right now.]"
At the time, Lili had thought it was just an excuse, but now it seemed Cain might have been telling the truth.
What kind of normal person would live in such a dilapidated place?
Even Lili, after earning some money, would choose to stay at an inn.
"Actually, I do have enough money to stay at an inn, but I have been saving recently to buy a magic book, so I am trying to save every coin I can."
"Saving up to buy a magic book?"
Lili's eyes instantly widened.
She knew exactly how expensive a magic book was.
To afford something of that level through ordinary income, one had to at least be capable of exploring the deeper floors of the Dungeon.
"Lord Cain, are you perhaps Level 4?"
"No."
"Are you Level 5?!"
Lili gasped in shock.
To explore the deeper floors, Level 4 strength was the minimum requirement.
If he was not Level 4, then he could only be Level 5.
But...
"Then why have I never heard your name before? Did you hide your true level and avoid registering it with the Guild in order to keep a low profile?"
"No, you misunderstood."
Cain raised a finger.
"I'm not Level 4 or Level 5. I'm Level 1, just like you."
...
Then what exactly are you saving money for!
A mere Level 1 should not even be dreaming about something as expensive as a magic book!
"Wait! Lord Cain, if you are Level 1, then what you said earlier was not a lie, was it?" Lili suddenly realized something.
"What are you referring to?"
"Of course I mean helping Lili leave the Soma Familia!"
The Pallum girl stood frozen in place. The reverence that had been on her face disappeared, replaced by agitation in her voice.
Lili felt deceived.
Earlier, Cain had appeared behind her without making a sound, acting mysterious and seemingly terrifyingly strong.
But after asking him, it turned out he was only Level 1, just like her.
Could a single Level 1 really help her withdraw from the Soma Familia?
"Of course he can!"
At that moment, a third voice suddenly joined the conversation.
The door at the end of the corridor opened, and Hestia walked out wearing a white nightgown.
"Cain is very strong. A mere Soma Familia is nothing to him!"
"Goddess, that is just blind faith."
Looking at the goddess in front of her who was about the same height as herself yet dozens of times stronger in status, Lili felt inexplicably suppressed in terms of presence.
But this matter concerned her future. Even if she felt pressured, Lili refused to back down.
"As a deity, you should understand very clearly that an adventurer undergoes a qualitative transformation in strength with every level up."
"The Soma Familia has Level 2 adventurers. Do you really believe that Lord Cain, as a Level 1, can defeat a Level 2 adventurer?"
"Yes."
"Do you even hear what you are saying?! The Level 2 adventurers in the Soma Familia are not newly promoted rookies. Their abilities have already been strengthened!"
"So what?"
"You... you are impossible!"
Lili became angry at Hestia's response.
How could there be such an unreasonable deity?
She had already explained it so clearly, yet the other party was still acting as if she did not understand.
"The one who understands nothing is you!"
Hestia placed her hands on her hips, straightened her back, and lifted her head, producing a rather impressive display.
"Cain has already defeated a Level 2 in direct combat!"
"Handling a bottom tier small Familia like the Soma Familia is as easy for him as eating and drinking!"
"Huh?"
Lili was stunned by Hestia's overwhelming confidence.
In her eyes, Hestia's petite figure seemed to grow larger, instantly transforming into a giant a hundred meters tall.
Looking upward, two massive peaks blocked out the sky, radiating an overwhelming pressure.
Influenced by that presence, Lili instinctively stepped back several times. She glanced toward Cain, who had somehow produced a box of fried potato balls and was casually tossing them into his mouth.
"L Lord Cain, is what the Goddess said true?"
"About half true and half false."
"...I see. Even if you could defeat a Level 2, fighting an entire Familia would still be far too difficult."
Actually, I meant that I have never defeated a Level 2.
Seeing that Lili had misunderstood what he meant, Cain thought for a moment and chose not to explain further.
He still needed Lili's help for work later.
If he said too much and affected her motivation, it would only cause trouble.
"Let's go inside first."
Cain led the two of them into the basement.
To deal with the Soma Familia and strengthen himself, he had been running around since early morning.
Before going to find Lili tonight, he had even spent half the day hunting monsters in the Dungeon.
After such a packed schedule, even Cain felt tired and extremely hungry.
"Is there anything you would like to eat?"
"I want a special mini burger!"
Hestia immediately raised her hand.
"Lili will eat anything."
Lili looked at Cain with a complicated expression.
Although their earlier conversation had restored some of her confidence in Cain's strength...
...seeing him standing in front of the stove and cooking so casually made that confidence weaken again, and doubt slowly crept back into her mind.
Could he really help her?
"He can, you know~"
Hestia's voice suddenly sounded beside her.
As if she had seen through the Pallum girl's thoughts, she walked over and gently patted Lili's head.
"I have heard about the Soma Familia."
"Living in that kind of environment must have been very difficult for you."
"But do not worry. We will save you. Soon you will regain your freedom."
"...Please do not pat Lili's head."
After a brief silence, Lili removed Hestia's hand.
Deities could lie.
Just as there were good and bad humans, there were also good and bad deities.
But after seeing many gods, Lili could clearly feel that Hestia was a special existence.
She was like a flame. Simply standing there seemed enough to illuminate the darkness in Lili's heart.
"Goddess Hestia, may I ask a somewhat unusual question?"
"Go ahead."
"How did you and Lord Cain meet?"
"Hmm... you could say we were both in the same situation."
Hestia recalled the scene of her first meeting with Cain.
At that time, she had been kicked out by Hephaestus and was working at a fried potato ball stall to earn money.
It was then that Cain appeared in front of the stall.
"Cain told me he had an accident and lost all his money. He asked if I could give him some fried potato balls to fill his stomach and promised that he would repay me once he earned money."
"So you gave him the fried potato balls?"
"No."
"?"
"I really wanted to help him, but the stall did not belong to me. I had no authority to give away free potato balls." Hestia smiled awkwardly.
"What happened after that?" Lili became even more curious.
"Later, I invited Cain to join my Familia. Then, to celebrate the founding of the Hestia Familia, I asked the stall owner to give us some fried potato balls."
"Huh? That is all?"
Lili had expected a more complicated story.
"That is all."
That was actually a lie.
As the famous virgin goddess, Hestia had extremely high standards when choosing followers.
This was also why, even after she had fallen so low that she had to work on the streets, she still had not recruited anyone to form a Familia.
The reason she invited Cain was because she discovered that he was "lost."
Although it was not obvious on the surface, during their first meeting Hestia sensed deep loneliness and confusion coming from Cain.
He was like a lost child wandering through an unfamiliar city.
[In that case, I cannot just ignore him.]
Hestia presided over the sacred flame, the light of the hearth, the flame of protection.
Seeing Cain in that state, she felt compelled to help him and extend a hand of salvation.
But there was no need to share such unimportant "trivial matters" with Lili.
Taking the last fried potato ball from the box, Hestia handed it to the Pallum girl in front of her who also carried a faint aura of loneliness.
"Here. Try one. It is really delicious."
"Then Lili will accept it."
Lili was also curious about the food that had connected her to the Hestia Familia.
She took the fried potato ball and popped it into her mouth. A rich aroma instantly exploded across her taste buds.
"Mmm! So delicious!"
Lili's eyes widened in surprise.
"Right, right. This is the recipe Cain improved. He gave it to the potato ball shop owner as a return gift."
Hestia showed a proud smile.
Thanks to this recipe, the stall's business had become incredibly prosperous.
When she passed by a few days ago, the owner even told her he was preparing to open another branch.
"The meal is ready. Come and eat!"
Cain's voice sounded from nearby.
"Let's go. Time to eat."
Hestia came back to her senses and extended her right hand toward Lili.
"Prepare yourself mentally. Cain's cooking is so delicious you might bite your tongue."
"Lili is not that foolish."
Lili reached out and took Hestia's hand.
Perhaps... days like this were not so bad after all.
...
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