Orario, Northwest Main Street.
A very thin boy with white hair and red eyes stood in front of a table, looking visibly nervous.
"Um... I want to apply to join a Familia."
"Hmm? Why did a kid come here?"
The god sitting behind the table looked up, examined the white haired boy in front of him, and asked,
"Have you received a Falna before?"
"No."
"Then do you have any combat experience or training history?"
"...No."
"Then you are unqualified."
The male god waved his hand, signaling the boy to leave.
"We are just a small Familia. We cannot afford to train someone from scratch like the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia. You should apply somewhere else."
"..."
Rejected again.
After politely bidding farewell to the male god, Bell sighed in disappointment.
This kind of experience was nothing new to him.
Carrying his longing for a destined encounter in Orario, he had traveled from a rural mountain village to the great city, filled with excitement and determination to join a Familia.
But from the very first Familia he approached, he had encountered nothing but rejection.
Too young.
No combat experience.
No previous training.
Whenever Bell applied, the gods always rejected him for the same reasons.
Occasionally he met one or two Familias willing to accept him, but the looks in those gods' eyes felt strange and unsettling, leaving him afraid.
When he first arrived in Orario, the guy guarding the city gate had told him that the most important thing when choosing a Familia was the personality of the god.
Because of that advice, Bell had refused those few gods who were willing to recruit him.
"Am I doing something wrong?"
Looking up at the bright sun in the sky, Bell began to question whether his choices had been correct.
He had already been in Orario for an entire month, and the money he brought with him had run out not long ago.
If he had not frequently encountered kind people willing to help him, he might have already starved to death somewhere on the roadside.
Instead of chasing dreams, what he should be doing now was finding a job and earning money just to survive.
However...
"Let me try one more time."
Remembering that heart stirring War Game he witnessed shortly after arriving in Orario, Bell gathered his determination once again.
He did not believe he could become like that captain of the Hestia Familia who suppressed an entire Familia by himself.
But after watching that War Game, Bell realized something.
What his grandfather had said was true.
Orario was a place where heroes gathered.
As long as he could join a Familia and receive a Falna, he might also have the chance to become as strong as that person.
"Speaking of which, that big sister yesterday said the Soma Familia was recruiting restaurant staff. As long as you have good character and are willing to work hard, you can join the Familia and receive a Falna."
Remembering the information given to him by a kind person yesterday, Bell turned and walked toward the next street.
...
Because they had become subordinate gods, the headquarters of the Soma Familia and the Hestia Familia were located in the same place.
By the time Bell asked for directions from several helpful passersby and finally found the Soma Familia residence, night had already fallen.
Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Bell looked left and right, unsure where he should go.
"Hmm? You over there, what are you doing?"
At that moment, Aisha happened to pass by.
Noticing Bell hesitating near the entrance, her eyes lit up as she walked toward him.
Although he was not her usual type, trying a different flavor once in a while was not a bad idea.
"I... I'm here to apply to join the Familia."
Under Aisha's fiery gaze and bold clothing, Bell became even more nervous.
"Excuse me, big sister, are you a member of the Soma Familia?"
Aisha nodded.
"That's right. I belong to the Soma Familia. At the moment... you could say I am the vice captain."
Although she had only joined the Soma Familia yesterday, Aisha's situation was quite special.
As the person responsible for managing the prostitute industry, she had to oversee the members of the former Ishtar Familia, and she already had many subordinates under her command.
For the sake of easier management, Cain had directly promoted her to the position of vice captain within the Soma Familia.
"I'm Aisha, what's your name?"
"...Bell."
"Bell, it's getting late. Are you interested in coming with me... Cough, sorry, occupational habit."
Halfway through speaking, Aisha suddenly remembered that she was no longer part of the Ishtar Familia.
"Let's start again. Bell, you're here to apply to join the Soma Familia, right?"
Bell nodded.
"I heard the Soma Familia is recruiting restaurant staff. I want to work in the restaurant so I can receive a Falna, and then enter the Dungeon to fight monsters and grow stronger."
"Oh? You're quite straightforward. Most people applying to join a Familia wouldn't dare to say that so openly."
Aisha looked Bell up and down thoughtfully.
Regarding the recruitment standards of the Soma Familia, she had already heard Cain explain them.
Even the Amazons from the former Ishtar Familia had undergone evaluation before joining the Soma Familia.
Fortunately their situation was not too bad. Aside from their strong interest in men, they did not possess the habit of harming their partners, so they all passed the assessment.
As for Bell...
"Looking at how absent minded you seem, the chances of you passing the test are actually quite low."
"However, I advise you to prepare yourself mentally. Working in the restaurant will not leave you much time to explore the Dungeon."
"No problem! I can hunt monsters in the Dungeon during my breaks. As long as I can obtain a Falna, that is enough for me!"
Hearing that he might be able to join the Familia, Bell immediately became excited.
Working long hours and having little time for the Dungeon did not bother him at all.
As long as he could join a Familia and receive a Falna, that alone meant success in his eyes.
As for everything else, he could slowly figure it out after starting work.
"If that's the case, come with me. I'll take you to the backyard to meet God Soma."
Seeing that Bell had no objections, Aisha gestured for him to follow and led him deeper into the courtyard.
After a short walk, the two arrived in front of Soma's room.
"God Soma, someone wishes to join the Familia."
Aisha raised her hand and knocked twice, announcing the purpose of their visit.
"Come in."
Soma's calm voice came from inside the room.
Receiving permission, Aisha pushed open the door and walked in.
"Eh? Cain, you're here too!"
"Mhm. I'm currently discussing the research and development of a new divine wine with God Soma. Having more varieties of divine wine available in the restaurant will also give customers more choices."
Cain replied, his gaze shifting toward the somewhat familiar figure standing behind Aisha.
"You must be the newcomer applying to join the Soma Familia?"
"Y-Yes!"
Unexpectedly meeting Cain here made Bell extremely nervous.
"Hello! Mr. Cain, my name is Bell Cranel, and I wish to apply to join the Soma Familia!"
"No problem. You pass."
"Eh?" Bell froze. "You don't need to ask any questions or test me?"
Cain replied calmly,
"No need. Your eyes are as clear as a recent college graduate. Anyone can tell immediately that you're not a bad person."
Bell: "?"
What is a college graduate?
Bell scratched his head, feeling that Cain's words somehow did not sound entirely like praise.
"God Soma, give him the Falna."
Cain turned toward the god beside him.
"I'm quite curious about Bell's Falna. Let me see it after you transcribe it."
"Alright."
Soma nodded slightly.
Although he did not know why Cain was giving Bell special treatment, he was not someone who liked asking unnecessary questions.
He instructed Bell to remove his clothes and sit on the stool, then squeezed out a drop of blood and began inscribing the Falna onto his back.
A moment later, Bell's status sheet was placed in front of Cain.
[Bell Cranel LV1]
[Strength: I0]
[Endurance: I0]
[Agility: I0]
[Dexterity: I0]
[Magic: I0]
[Magic: None]
[Skill: None]
"Um... how are my stats?"
Bell asked nervously.
"Oh... how should I put this..."
Cain handed the paper back to him.
"It has been a long time since I last saw such a clean panel. It feels quite nostalgic."
Bell: QVQ
Looking at the empty status sheet in front of him, Bell suddenly felt a wave of disappointment.
After spending so much time in Orario, he had already learned a little about Falna status sheets.
According to what those low level adventurers said, possessing several skills or magic upon receiving a Falna often determined how far someone could go in the future.
Having neither skills nor magic meant this was the worst possible starting point. A completely ordinary adventurer panel.
"Bell, there is no need to be so discouraged."
At that moment, Cain spoke again.
"Skills and magic are not fixed forever. You can still awaken them later through effort and experience."
"For example, when I first joined the Familia and received my Falna, I also had neither skills nor magic."
"Eh? Mr. Cain had that too?!"
Bell's eyes widened in shock.
Not only Bell, but Aisha and Soma also looked at Cain in surprise.
As the center of the world, Orario had produced countless famous heroes throughout history, and it was not uncommon for powerful individuals to rise from humble beginnings.
However those people usually experienced major growth after reaching LV2, gradually becoming stronger step by step.
As for someone like Cain who possessed extraordinary combat strength even at LV1, none of them could recall a similar case.
"I have no reason to lie about something like this."
Cain glanced toward Soma.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask God Soma whether what I said is true."
Soma nodded calmly.
"It is all true."
A deity could easily determine whether a mortal was lying.
Although Cain's story sounded shocking, Soma could confirm that Cain was telling the truth.
"Mr. Cain is amazing!"
After hearing Soma confirm it, Bell looked at Cain with admiration shining in his eyes.
"You didn't have a single skill or magic, so how did you become so strong?"
"Persistence and effort."
Cain raised a single finger.
"Before receiving my Falna, every day I completed 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 100 squats. I also insisted on running 10 kilometers daily."
Bell: "Amazing!"
Aisha: "..."
Being able to maintain that level of training before receiving a Falna was indeed impressive.
However this was still just basic physical conditioning.
Looking at the starry eyed Bell standing beside her, Aisha hesitated for a moment before deciding not to say anything sarcastic.
As a high level adventurer, she understood better than most what it meant to possess no skills or magic.
The geniuses of the Loki Familia were rare exceptions.
For ordinary people without skills or magic, achieving great accomplishments and breaking through to LV2 or LV3 was extremely difficult.
If Cain's words could motivate Bell to persevere, then it would still be a good thing for him.
"Oh right, Bell."
While chatting with Bell, Cain suddenly spoke again as if he had just remembered something.
"If you want to become as strong as me, I actually have a good opportunity available. Would you like to try it?"
"I do!"
"It's very dangerous. Even if you have to stand on the edge of death every day, do you still want to try?"
"Yes."
Bell answered without hesitation.
After hearing Cain describe his own growth, Bell had already realized that ordinary people needed to work extremely hard to become strong.
"Mr. Cain, please!"
"I want to become as strong as you!"
"No problem."
A smile appeared on Cain's face.
"Since you say that, tomorrow I'll take you out to see the world."
...
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