Having successfully secured his right to stay in Orario, Tsuna finally left the Guild headquarters.
"Phew... Thank goodness... We didn't get deported..."
He seriously is a completely different person...
Tsuna and Hestia were currently walking back to the church. Released from the crushing anxiety of potential exile, Tsuna had completely reverted to his usual, timid self. Hestia eyed him, deeply unsettled by the jarring whiplash in his personality.
"Say, Tsunayoshi-kun... are you, by any chance... suffering from a split personality...?"
"N-No I'm not!! I-I know it probably looked that way, but..."
Tsuna frantically denied the accusation, though his voice wavered, acutely aware of how weird he must have seemed.
"Hmm. It still feels super weird. Can you just go back to talking the way you were earlier?"
"Eh... no... I couldn't possibly speak like that to a Goddess..."
"It's not like everyone calls Gods 'Lord' or uses formal speech. I mean, personally, I'd love it if you worshipped the ground I walk on like Bell-kun does, but I'm not going to force you. Actually, in your case, it throws my rhythm off when you're super polite. So just talk to me normally."
"U-Under... Got it. Hestia."
While he felt a bit guilty dropping the honorifics with a divine being, he decided to honor her request and speak casually since she preferred it.
"By the way, in your world, can people just use powers like that without Falna?"
"No... that's not exactly how it works... but..."
"..."
Tsuna wore a conflicted expression, struggling to find the right words. Sensing there was more to the story, Hestia decided not to pry any further.
"Hey, Tsunayoshi-kun. Do you mind if we take a little detour? There's something I want to talk to you about."
"Eh? Sure..."
Though slightly puzzled by the sudden request, Tsuna agreed to follow her lead.
.....
Hestia led him to a quiet, deserted fountain plaza. The two of them sat down on a nearby bench.
"So... what did you want to talk about?"
"I know I have no right to ask this, and I fully expect you to be angry. It's completely fine if you say no."
"?"
Seeing Hestia looking so uncharacteristically hesitant, Tsuna tilted his head in confusion.
"I want you to become an adventurer."
"Eh!? Me!?"
"Yeah. I want you to use your power to help Bell-kun."
"What do you mean?"
"Bell-kun has someone he deeply admires, and he's pushing himself to the absolute limit trying to catch up to them. But my Familia barely has any members. Because of that, Bell-kun is always forcing himself to take on dangerous risks alone. I'm just so... so terribly worried about him."
"He doesn't have anyone to fight alongside him?"
"Strictly speaking, he isn't alone. But the girl who goes with him is from another Familia, and she's a Supporter... basically, she handles rear-guard logistics. She isn't a combatant. He doesn't have anyone who can stand on the front lines with him. When I saw your power today, I immediately thought... maybe Tsunayoshi-kun could be the strength Bell-kun needs."
"I see..."
"I know your situation! I know you just want to go home, and asking this of you is shameful and completely disqualifies me as a God! Even so... I'm begging you! Please! Won't you lend Bell-kun your strength!?"
Hestia leaped up from the bench and bowed her head deeply toward him.
"Sure. I don't mind."
"Eh...!?"
Tsuna agreed instantly, without a second of hesitation. Hestia, who had fully braced herself for rejection or at least a drawn-out negotiation, was left completely dumbfounded.
"W-Were you even listening to me!? I'm asking you to fight monsters! You could literally die! Do you understand what you just agreed to!?"
"Well, I don't know all the details yet, but... if my power can help, I think it's fine. And besides..."
"Besides?"
"Ah... never mind. It's nothing..."
Tsuna swallowed the rest of his sentence.
I shouldn't make her feel guilty...
"Exploration Familias are the most common type here in Orario. It's an incredibly dangerous job with a high risk of death. But if you succeed, you can earn massive amounts of wealth and fame. Those who brave the labyrinth are called Adventurers."
"I mean... our Familia is really poor..."
He recalled Hestia's exact words from earlier. He knew her Familia was struggling financially, and that adventurers could earn a lot of money if they were successful.
Tsuna was strong, but he hated fighting, and he had absolutely no desire to use his power for personal gain. However, despite not being wealthy, Hestia had unconditionally taken in a complete stranger like him. If becoming an adventurer meant he could make life a little easier for Hestia and Bell, then that was the best way he could repay his debt.
He knew that if he told her this, Hestia would immediately tell him not to worry about them, so he kept his true motivations hidden.
"Anyway, I'll give being an adventurer a shot. If it ends up being completely impossible, I might have to quit, though."
"A-Are you really sure? If you're okay with it, I won't say another word..."
Hestia knew he was hiding something, but since he genuinely seemed willing to become an adventurer, she decided not to press the issue.
.....
With Tsuna's decision finalized, the two returned to the church.
"I'm home~. We're back, Bell-kun~."
"Ah! Goddess! Tsunayoshi-san! How did it go!?"
"Perfectly! We secured Tsunayoshi-kun's permission to stay in Orario!"
"Oh, thank goodness..."
Hestia flashed a bright smile and a V-sign in response to Bell's anxious question. Hearing that Tsuna wouldn't be deported, Bell let out a massive sigh of relief.
"Also, it seems Tsunayoshi-kun is interested in becoming an adventurer."
"Ehhhh!? What do you mean!?"
"Exactly what I said. Ouranos already went ahead and registered him as an adventurer with the Guild. So, Bell-kun, as his senior, make sure you teach him the ropes."
"Eh!? Wait a minute! Tsunayoshi-san has people waiting for him to come home!"
"That's true. But this is Tsunayoshi-kun's own decision. No one has the right to object to that."
"B-But... Are you really okay with this, Tsunayoshi-san!?"
"Well, think of it as a new experience... I won't know unless I try..."
"That's the spirit. Look, we can just treat it as a trial run. If it doesn't work out, I still plan to ask my boss to hire him. For now, you guys can just head into the upper floors and see how it goes. That should be fine, right?"
"I-I understand..."
Though Bell was initially completely against the idea, Hestia's reassurances managed to somewhat placate him.
"I'm sorry... making you ask him that for me..." Bell whispered to Hestia when Tsuna was out of earshot.
"I know. You didn't want to make him worry," she replied softly.
"Thank you..."
Hestia had deliberately played the role of the enthusiastic recruiter to prevent Bell from realizing she had essentially begged Tsuna to protect him. Bell, understanding her intent, didn't blame her.
"Alright then. It's time to engrave my Falna. Tsunayoshi-kun, take off your shirt and lie face-down on the sofa."
Following her instructions, Tsuna took off his shirt and lay flat on his stomach. Hestia climbed onto the sofa, straddling his lower back so she could comfortably reach his shoulder blades.
"Hold still. This will be over in a second."
She pulled out a small needle and lightly pricked her right index finger. A tiny drop of divine blood—Ichor—welled up. She pressed her bleeding finger directly against Tsuna's back. Instantly, glowing characters written in Hieroglyphs began to materialize across his skin.
"Okay, the Hieroglyphs are engraved. Now I just need to translate them into Koine so everyone can read them, so keep holding still."
Hestia grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen, preparing to transcribe the divine text glowing on Tsuna's back.
W-What is this...!?
Her eyes widened in absolute disbelief as she stared at the newly formed characters.
"Ahem. I'm done writing, you can get up now."
Clearing her throat to mask her shock, Hestia climbed off the sofa. Tsuna got up from the sofa and quickly put his jacket back on.
"What's written here is your Status. Think of it as a numerical representation of your abilities. Since you can't read Koine, I'll read it out loud for you."
Hestia pointed to the characters on the parchment and began to translate.
Sawada Tsunayoshi
Lv. 1
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
"Magic"
[]
"Skills"
"That is your current Status," Hestia explained. "Excelia... basically, by accumulating experience through various actions and battles, these numbers will increase, and you might awaken new skills or magic. And if you meet certain requirements, you can undergo a Rank Up. Ranking up increases your overall Level. In short, you can get ridiculously strong."
It really is just like a video game...
As Hestia explained the mechanics of his Status and how to acquire magic, Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that he was listening to a tutorial on how to level up in an RPG.
"A lot happened today, but with this, you are officially a member of my Familia. I'd love to throw a welcome party right now, but it's getting late. Let's just get some rest to prepare for tomorrow."
Both Tsuna and Bell were visibly exhausted from the day's events, so Hestia proposed they turn in for the night. Agreeing wholeheartedly, Tsuna and Bell prepared to sleep on the sofa, while Hestia retreated to her own separate bedroom.
.....
Inside Hestia's room.
"Haa... there's just no way..."
Hestia lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she recalled the true Status engraved on Tsuna's back.
Sawada Tsunayoshi
Lv. 1
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
"Magic"
[]
"Skills"
[Blood of Vongola]
• Accelerates growth.
• Increases strength with every battle.
• Effects scale with the strength of the opponent.
"First Bell-kun, and now Tsunayoshi-kun manifests a rare skill... and it's basically a vastly superior version of Bell-kun's... This has to be some kind of joke... Plus, unlike Bell-kun's, it doesn't even have any restrictive activation conditions..."
Hestia had intentionally omitted Tsuna's newly awakened skill when writing down his Status on the parchment.
The skill he possessed was absurdly powerful and incredibly rare. If word ever got out that he had such an ability, there was a very high chance that unsavory factions would try to kidnap or exploit him. To protect him, she had decided to keep it an absolute secret.
Besides, what the heck does 'Blood of Vongola' even mean...? Just who exactly are you, Tsunayoshi-kun?