Chapter 65: Hestia's Reward Game, Are You Trying to Be My Enemy? (Patreon)

The next morning, I must have been sick somehow — everything felt wrong, and I kept replaying last night's experience, which was practically a nightmare.

"It's not like Zanis didn't die properly... is it?"

Morning.

Rozz lay on the couch in the Familia Home's living room, his eyes carrying a faint deathly weariness as he stared blankly up at the ceiling.

He really wanted to ask...

Zanis's problem had been completely resolved, after all — and knowing the temperament of Soma Familia's Adventurers, they surely wouldn't come after him.

Yet even without any outside pressure, that dream kept coming back.

So what was causing it?

Rozz thought back carefully. After winning that revival-round fight last night against Zanis's siege, there had definitely been some combat gains.

If he faced the same situation as yesterday now, he'd have plenty of ways to easily take down a Lv2 Adventurer of Zanis's caliber.

"It couldn't be..."

"Is this some kind of cheat ability of mine — boosting my strength through dream training?!"

Once he considered that possibility—

it suddenly made a strange kind of sense to Rozz. But if he had a choice, he'd rather his dreams came a little gentler.

Dreaming about pretty girls would definitely be the best option.

He couldn't keep doing intense Dungeon exploration every day only to lose all his rest at night — just imagining it felt like a prison sentence.

Once that heavy mental exhaustion finally faded, he stopped lying there. Dungeon exploration was, after all, always an Adventurer's main theme.

He got up and washed quickly.

Just as Rozz was putting on his gear to go meet Lili, he noticed a girl in a dress who had also woken up.

Compared to usual—

Hestia's nightgown was noticeably looser today. Even so, it still failed to hide the girl's outrageously exaggerated figure.

She wasn't wearing shoes.

The young goddess's bare feet rested on the floor, the perfect curve of her arches paired with crystal-clear toes, together making for quite the feast for the eyes.

She looked drowsy, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

The moment she noticed Rozz was heading off to the Dungeon, Hestia instantly perked up — though of course, there was more to it than that...

The real reason lay in the training feedback from the "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan."

[Dream Training Plan]

[Difficulty: Normal]

[Current Status: Cleared]

[Gradually adapting to the Dream Training Plan, Rozz fought continuously while facing a siege from multiple Lv2 Adventurers.]

[He finally, with great difficulty, completed the training objective.]

[Rozz's various Potential stats improved, but from being repeatedly plagued by the dream and denied proper rest, he feels exhausted.]

Facing a siege from multiple Lv2 Adventurers at once?

When the training first activated, it hadn't described the difficulty of the process at all. But this time... the details of the dream training were laid bare.

Just from looking at it—

even the young goddess could sense how brutal the training must have been, let alone from the summary and the description of Rozz's condition.

Maybe she should do something about it?

"Morning."

The difficulty of the Dream Training Plan — she'd set that up herself, without even asking Rozz's permission.

As for the exhaustion it caused—

as a goddess, Hestia felt it was her duty to help ease it. She walked over to the couch and patted the spot beside her.

Only, as she spoke,

she felt her cheeks growing hot, and said softly, "Rozz... looking at you, I don't think you slept well last night, did you?"

"Yeah..."

The reason was just a bit hard to admit.

Rozz turned his head, looking out at Orario's sky just beginning to lighten. He knew well enough that being mentally exhausted would lower his exploration efficiency.

Besides—

he considered himself a man above petty pleasures. There was nothing wrong with a little comfort.

Rozz decided to listen to Petite mom and sat down on the soft couch beside her. But before he could say a word, he already felt it keenly—

this show of care from Hestia.

An extremely soft sensation, one no man-made silicone could ever match, carrying with it a faint scent of orchids.

A pillow.

If he had a pillow like this, he definitely wouldn't have nightmares every night. He'd just need to shift position now and then, or he'd surely suffocate.

"You've worked hard~"

The young goddess's breathing gradually grew... a little heavy.

She could feel her cheeks burning hotter by the moment. This kind of intimate contact... certainly wouldn't be appropriate with an ordinary Familia member.

But for Rozz, whom she liked, it was fine!

[Stamina +20]

[Through this special care from a goddess, Rozz's Mood improved, and the troubles brought on by the dream gradually faded.]

[Affection +2]

The reward made sense.

Seeing the "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan" feedback, Hestia felt much lighter — and best of all, her Affection was climbing!

Only...

if a mere "Normal" difficulty Dream Training Plan already called for... this kind of reward, what would higher-tier training plans demand down the line?

What would she have to do then...?

Thinking this far, the young goddess felt even the tips of her ears heat up. She noticed Rozz's gaze occasionally drifting toward her bare feet.

Hmm...

Hestia suddenly found her answer.

"Hestia."

"I think today's Dungeon exploration is going to go smoothly. I'll try to hit my theoretical stat limits as soon as possible."

"And then level up as an Adventurer!"

Rozz felt completely reinvigorated.

He secretly resolved that he could never let this goddess's care go to waste — restoring the glory of Hestia Familia was his duty, plain and simple.

"So full of energy!"

Young people should be brimming with vigor, after all.

Hestia didn't think there was anything wrong with this level of closeness — the kind of Familia she wanted was one that felt like a real family.

And if she was going to be the mom, someone had to be the dad, didn't they?

As for who would fill that role, the girl already had her answer. Still, she had one nagging doubt — Rozz's Affection toward her was already past the halfway mark.

So why...

hadn't this guy developed any romantic feelings for her yet? The moment there was even a hint of one, she'd definitely fan the flames as hard as she could...

Watching the boy, fully geared up and ready to head into the Dungeon,

Hestia didn't forget to remind him, "Rozz, be careful during today's exploration~ Don't push yourself too hard."

"I will."

Watching Rozz's retreating back,

the young goddess had no intention of lazing around the house either — she had her own battle to fight. She just needed to find time to ask a friend something.

In Orario...

were there actually any precedents of a Familia member marrying a god?

"That's right."

"Better than letting some other god sink their claws in first — so why shouldn't I, as his own goddess, be the one to seize the advantage?"

At the top of Babel—

in an opulently lavish divine palace, Freya lounged on her bed, her silk nightgown tracing the outline of her flawless figure.

In the past,

her interest in Rozz had simply been sparked by curiosity over the translucent light-screen of the "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan."

But after yesterday's conversation,

having witnessed with her own eyes the transformed color of Rozz's soul, she'd decided to personally shape him into the perfect partner she wanted.

That's right!

Freya opened the "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan" panel out of habit.

[Character: Rozz]

[Level: Lv1]

[Mood: 60↓100 (Joyful)]

[Stamina: 105↑100 (Full)]

[Health: 96/100 (Excellent)]

[Stamina -15]

[Rozz basked in this embrace, one belonging solely to the goddess Hestia's magnificent bosom, and his Affection toward her rose. Stamina +20]

So what exactly could someone do that would cost 15 points of Stamina up front, only to have it all restored afterward by... a magnificent bosom?

Freya's stunningly beautiful face twisted, just slightly, once she pieced together the exact reason.

But soon,

she spotted the blind spot in Rozz's status changes — intimate contact didn't just restore Stamina, it raised Affection too.

Didn't that mean...

The gorgeous goddess glanced down at her own chest. Even lying flat, it remained magnificently prominent, and the corner of her mouth curled into a smile.

"If Hestia can do this,"

"why can't I go just as far? Rozz is only a member of her Familia — it's not like he's bound to her for the rest of his life."

"Besides,"

the one thing Freya never lacked was confidence. She sighed softly, "Compared to Hestia, is my figure really that inferior?!"

As for leaving Soma Familia—

Lili hadn't even dared to dream of it, because reality was too cruel, and dreams only ever tore hope apart.

But now,

looking up at Orario's sky just starting to brighten, the girl truly felt, in a real and tangible way, what it meant to be "alive."

In the end, all these changes had come after meeting Rozz — and thinking back on it, she even recalled the Wine God Soma's parting words to her.

This guy had been quietly doing things for her behind her back...

The Supporter girl could clearly feel a warmth spreading through her chest. She realized... this might just be what it felt like to fall for Rozz.

And once she recognized this budding affection, she had to take the initiative — better that than let some other woman with feelings for Rozz beat her to it!

Looking at Rozz standing before her,

Lili's heartbeat couldn't help but quicken. She spoke up first, "Morning... um, what's our exploration plan for today?"

"Morning..."

"Today's goal is to try to reach the 12th floor. I want to see what the mid-tier area actually looks like."

Standing in Central Park in front of Babel,

Rozz had to admit that, without any external pressure weighing on him, his mindset while exploring the Dungeon had changed a great deal.

That was exactly how it should be!

He couldn't keep holding his breath every day, gripped by the idea that he'd die if he didn't get stronger — just imagining it felt exhausting.

"I'm definitely not going to push myself as hard as I used to."

As for that,

the Supporter girl had no objection at all. To put it more precisely, simply being able to explore the Dungeon in a normal, steady way already felt quite satisfying to her.

At the very least, she didn't have to worry about him going back to that reckless, exploit-abusing fighting style that treated his own life as expendable.

"No problem."

Lili stood beside Rozz. She looked up, her eyes carrying a hint of... anticipation. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"...I guess you could say I have."

If Hestia's morning "benefits" counted, then Rozz figured he'd had something — especially since moving to the Traveler's Rest.

Lili's place was also nearby in the same area,

so taking a detour to North Main Street for Tater Tots would be too much of a waste of time — Orario was, after all, a fairly large city.

Once she got a clear answer,

Lili gritted her teeth, gathered her courage, and held out a breakfast she'd made with her own hands. "Then, do you want to eat this instead?"

"Um..."

"I made it myself."

"Huh?!"

Rozz looked at the food Lili held out, wrapped in oil paper — something like a taco. He couldn't very well refuse her kindness.

He took it and gave it a taste.

Even the flavor matched — the sauce leaned spicy, wrapped around something like fried chicken inside.

"It's pretty good."

"I thought the only thing you liked was Tater Tots."

"You think maybe I only eat Tater Tots because they're cheap? Fried carbs that fill you right up."

"Fair enough."

From Rozz's carefree attitude, Lili could tell that he was probably satisfied with the breakfast she'd made.

After all...

this was the only way she could think of to hold his attention — she was surrounded by rival women who all had feelings for Rozz.

"Bond"

Even though what Rozz said that night had come out wrong, he'd simply meant that after forming a Bond, he wanted to borrow her "Cinder Ella" magic.

But once she clearly recognized her own feelings,

the girl wanted to build a real bond with Rozz. "Then from now on... whenever I cook, should I make a little extra for you too?"

Realizing that sounded a bit too suggestive,

Lili turned her head aside and huffed in explanation, "If I make too much it just gets thrown away anyway... and besides, food from outside isn't as clean as homemade."

It was such a familiar exchange.

It reminded Rozz, almost without meaning to, of what the orphanage director — his "mom" figure from his past life — used to say all the time. Coming from her, it hadn't felt strange at all.

Except,

hearing those same words come out of Lili's mouth, especially paired with her extremely petite frame, created quite the jarring contrast.

[Heart-Fluttering Tiny Mom]

Why had this world turned out this way? (sob)

Every beautiful girl he'd met in Orario had a "mom-type" personality — this bizarre pattern was seriously messed up.

Rozz reached up and scratched his head. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"

"If you don't like it... you can just say so. That way, I could save myself some time too."

"I don't dislike it."

Noticing the complicated look in Rozz's eyes, even Lili couldn't help but tense up. Once she got her answer, she finally let out a breath of relief.

If...

he really disliked her, there would've been no reason for him to go so far to help her, right there at the Familia Home, in front of the Wine God Soma himself!

And so the Supporter girl, who'd never had any romantic experience and had spent her days just scraping by, decided to follow the example set by that evening's conversation.

"Rozz..."

Lili gathered her courage and looked earnestly at the black-haired boy before her. "There's something I've really wanted to talk to you about."

"Go ahead."

"To you... what exactly am I?"

"A friend?"

If Lili hadn't joined his Familia, he could've simply called her a friend. But she was already a member of Hestia Familia.

Maybe...

it was just that, having recently landed in a whole new environment and not having much strength of her own as a Supporter, she was anxious about being left behind.

That would fully explain the whole breakfast thing!

Rozz decided he shouldn't dodge a question like this. "You're a friend now, and you'll be a friend later too. But if I had to put it more precisely..."

"A companion?"

He weighed his words for a moment, then added, for the Supporter girl's benefit, "You're the kind of companion I can trust to watch my back completely."

"Rest assured."

"Compared to Soma Familia, our Familia's environment is actually pretty great!"

[Companion]

It was, without a doubt, an answer with absolutely nothing wrong with it.

But feeling that warmth for what it truly was, Lili realized she'd become greedy — she didn't want her relationship with Rozz to stop there.

Lifting her head again,

her fair cheeks flushed faintly, and she decided to go straight for it. "But... I don't want us to be... just ordinary companions."

"?"

Part of the reason Rozz could comfortably think of Hestia as a mom figure without any guilt was, in large part, her status as a goddess.

A proper main deity, straight out of Olympian mythology.

But here was Lili, making him breakfast and using that same motherly tone for those oddly familiar words of caution just now.

It was hard for him not to suspect what she was really thinking.

Rozz said seriously, "No... I already have Hestia as my mom. Besides, you're definitely younger than me."

"This wouldn't be appropriate!"

"?"

But noticing Lili's increasingly bewildered, horrified look, he thought quickly and decided to lighten the mood.

"Well, you can't possibly want to be my enemy, can you!"

The girl's expression froze on the spot. She looked up at Rozz, who wore the face of someone who'd genuinely thought this through before answering, and the corner of her mouth twitched violently.

Was this guy even human?

Good news:

she really did have plenty of rivals around her, but Rozz was dense as a block of wood — liking him felt like batting your eyelashes at a blind man.

But if she could just make him feel this... feeling of hers, maybe she could still pull it off?

"Never mind..."

"Let's go explore the Dungeon."

Lili's reason for pressing on was simple: a future without Rozz was absolutely not the future she wanted — all the more reason to seize it herself!