Chapter 39: Hephaestus Can't Wait to See Rhodes! (Please Follow Reading) (Patreon)

"Is this really a reasonable situation?"

Skill.

Hestia was certainly no stranger to it. Rozz had gained Basic Swordsmanship at Lv1 during his very first training session, and through live-combat training afterward,

he'd pushed that Skill all the way up to Lv2.

But then again, the Skill panel of the "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan" didn't actually connect to Orario's Adventurer Falna system.

That was exactly why the young goddess found it so shocking.

Adventurers could, through their own experiences, potentially gain a Skill with a matching effect — but the odds of that happening were pitifully low.

And her own Rozz?

She thought of how his stats had reached the threshold for a level breakthrough in a mere eight days — talent wild enough to shake the world.

Hestia suddenly felt that...

it seemed only natural that Rozz had turned his exploration experiences and decisions into the Skill [Forge Onward].

"Hehe..."

"Once today's exploring is over, I'm going to give you a thorough investigation~"

Based on her review of the Exploration Log and the Skill Rozz had obtained, Hestia figured this Skill's effect might well turn out to be quite powerful.

Anticipation flared up inside her!

Carrying that anticipation,

Hestia threw herself into her work full of energy, her stunning, faintly childish face wearing a polite smile the entire time.

"..."

"Could Rozz really be right?"

Having learned the full story through Tsubaki's report, Hephaestus left her office and went about her usual work inspection, as always.

Then—

she found her best friend grinning like a fool.

How should she even put it?

Hard to say!

Hephaestus could grudgingly understand why this woman was being so... attentive. If Rozz had been a Familia member she herself had recruited,

she'd surely find him just as fascinating.

Especially combining Tsubaki's glowing praise with her best friend's smitten act, she genuinely wanted to... meet this rookie Adventurer Rozz herself.

"You're here?"

Noticing her friend's arrival, even though she hadn't actually helped Rozz in that whole affair, it didn't dampen her mood in the slightest.

Hestia looked up and asked, "Something you need from me?"

"..."

But thinking about how the boy was her good friend's Familia member, Hephaestus found it... a little hard to bring up. Meeting him alone really would look far too suggestive.

After going back and forth,

she decided to approach it through the topic of "advancing wages to move out," and said casually, "Didn't you mention a few days ago wanting an advance on your pay?"

"That's right!"

The young goddess nodded firmly.

Realizing this probably meant Hephaestus was agreeing to her request, Hestia's eyes lit up with a brightness they'd never held before.

Her voice full of hope, she asked, "Really? I can?"

"Sure."

"I'll give you a couple days off then — sort of a celebration, seeing as you're finally moving out of my place. Mm, I'll treat you to a meal when the time comes."

Gods, of course, couldn't lie to each other.

But those words were absolutely Hephaestus's genuine feelings — letting this woman keep staying at her place would only cause more trouble down the line.

"A meal?"

"Eat whatever you want... get something good."

"!!"

From her tone alone,

Hestia could sense her best friend's overflowing exasperation, but shamelessness was practically her specialty, so the problem never even registered.

Friends~

That's what helping each other out was all about — it's just that she wasn't in a position to pay it back yet!!

And knowing full well that her friend, the "rich lady" who ran Orario's largest weapon shop, would treat her to something absolutely lavish when she said "something good"—

since they'd be eating well...

what flashed through the young goddess's mind was Rozz's handsome face. She had no way to give the boy a better environment for his exploring,

but when it came to food, she'd absolutely bring him along!

"Um..."

"So when you treat me to that meal, can I bring Rozz along..."

She didn't even need to lie.

All it took was playing to Hestia's personality to engineer a meeting with Rozz. Hephaestus chuckled and nodded.

"Of course you can."

"Just as long as you stop constantly thinking up ways to trouble me. Mm — cause less trouble, and spare Rozz some worry."

"Sure thing..."

Hephaestus seemed unusually generous today, which surprised Hestia a little, though she didn't think any further into it.

After all,

anyone in Orario might try to poach from under her, but the young goddess believed her best friend would absolutely never do such a thing!

—

Toward evening.

Feeling Orario's breeze brush across his face, Rozz could almost see the fatigue from his intense Dungeon exploring melting away.

He looked out at the bustling crowd of Adventurers ahead of him.

Maybe it was because he'd completely defused the landmine that was Nwankwo, who could've caused trouble at any moment — either way, his Mood felt a whole lot lighter.

So,

a good Mood obviously called for a celebration.

He glanced at the Supporter girl beside him and could clearly sense Lili's growing ease now that no bully weighed on her.

"Let's call today's exploring done for now~"

"You've really helped me out a lot with the Dungeon exploring these past days. Once I convert this batch of drops into valis,"

"we'll split it!"

"..."

This guy actually remembered that?

Lili's face showed some surprise, but she didn't refuse — because even if she did, he'd probably just force it on her anyway.

She nodded lightly.

But letting tonight end just like that left the Supporter girl a little unwilling to let go. She looked up at the tall, lean, black-haired boy beside her.

Lili hesitated a moment, then spoke up on her own.

"Um..."

"Are you free tonight?"

"Huh... I remember you mentioning, Lili, that monsters in the Dungeon get more violent at night, right?"

Rozz frowned.

More importantly, after today's intense Dungeon exploring, he'd only kept back enough Stamina to make it back to Orario. If he kept exploring,

he'd probably really end up as breeding stock for some Goblin.

"Uh."

"Is it possible... that I was actually thinking of treating you to dinner?"

Lili knew perfectly well that hinting never worked on a guy whose head was full of nothing but muscle — she had to just say what she meant, plainly.

No matter how she looked at it,

she had every reason to treat him — he'd helped her get rid of Nwankwo, and from now on she wouldn't be so easy to bully.

But that was only the smallest part of the reason.

She'd never once imagined that she, already sunk deep in the mire, could find her own salvation waiting for her in this hopeless world.

Something that could make up for the shadow of her childhood.

Lili gathered up every ounce of courage she had.

"Someone who lives in the past has no future... but now, Lili feels like she's found the thing she wants to pursue... the future she's longed for!"

"You're treating me?"

"Then I've got no reason to say no. Where's the restaurant?"

"The Hostess of Fertility."

"Sure."

Rozz really wasn't used to this kind of sentimental atmosphere. He ruffled the girl's fluffy hair, and when he caught Lili's resentful glare,

he thought it over for a moment,

then added with a laugh, "I'll keep my hands to myself this time!"

"..."

Only,

when he mentioned the Hostess of Fertility, the face of that gray-haired girl rose unbidden in his mind.

...

...

[Author's Note: I've been racking my brain studying the fluctuations in reader retention — why is it that every time I write an awesome, epic scene, overall retention numbers spike?]

[Author's Note: Monthly-ticket bonus chapter. Currently 2 chapters, 4,000 words, behind on the backlog.]