Chapter 82: The Miracle in Demeter's Eyes, A Strong Interest in Rozz! (Patreon)

"That's enough special training for today. Somehow... even magic like this, which fits the DanMachi system so well, can be crafted by hand?"

For Rozz, this was definitely good news.

At the very least, his "Myriad Phenomena" magic wouldn't end up as a mere ornament. He gazed at the several giant trees in front of him, each one cut clean through the middle.

Chidori.

By converting spiritual power into lightning and releasing it, the effect really was no different from the original work. It had a piercing force as sharp as a blade. On the cross-sections, he could even see the scorched marks left by the intense heat and the cut.

Rozz figured that even the katana Hephaestus had given him, stacked with Mana Burst, couldn't have matched this.

"But..."

"If I can make Chidori out of spiritual power... then copying the Lightning Release from the same series shouldn't be especially hard."

Best of all, he could skip the tedious hand seals from the original story. Just by picturing it in his head, he could release it right here in Orario.

Which meant that the biggest weakness he had at this stage, his lack of combat methods, had now been properly solved.

"The power you possess is the very reason you are king!"

Stats alone wouldn't have been enough. In Orario, where the level hierarchy was so strict, even immense strength had a hard time beating a veteran.

But with his stats maxed out and his repertoire of techniques now enriched as well, Rozz felt he had at least some footing, whether he was exploring the Dungeon or facing danger from other Adventurers.

Retracing the path he had come by, he started heading back into Orario, the Labyrinth City. Leaving with Ryuu had gone smoothly, but coming back meant waiting in line.

"..."

Rozz wasn't worried about it. After all, being an Adventurer of Hestia Familia was the best pass he could ask for.

But while he waited in line, he saw a figure that was simply impossible to ignore, one with a build similar to Hephaestus's.

Orange hair in big, wavy curls spilled naturally over her shoulders. Even her loose one-piece dress couldn't hide that remarkably full figure, and it outlined it almost perfectly.

A goddess.

The instant Rozz saw her, he knew she was a god.

The orange-haired goddess stood in front of a line of carts loaded with grain, having a brief negotiation with the Orario guards.

Recalling what Ryuu had told him earlier, the woman before him seemed to be the goddess of Demeter Familia, the Familia responsible for Orario's grain supply and one of its most essential.

Getting to know more gods would certainly be beneficial.

Then again, she was an older-sister type like Demeter, and walking up to her for no reason at all might just get him misunderstood.

*

Once she'd finished her brief exchange with the city guards, Demeter turned around and began directing the members of her Familia.

Honestly, her Familia members could have handled this themselves. But if she, as a goddess, came forward in person, it would at least spare them the guards' painfully tedious inspection process.

"Take this batch of grain to the Free Market. Someone there will receive it."

As she spoke, the mature orange-haired goddess's tone flowed with an unconscious gentleness. Strictly speaking, Demeter was just standing there. She was practically a synonym for "gentle."

After briefly explaining the situation to her Familia members, she looked at the line of Adventurers waiting at the city gate because of her Familia.

"Sorry~"

"For taking up all of your time~"

Demeter apologized openly. But when her radiant golden eyes landed on one Adventurer in the line, a black-haired, strikingly handsome young man, a flicker of puzzlement crossed the goddess's gaze.

A black-haired boy with an Eastern face was indeed rare in Orario, since the Far East and the Eastern Continent were extremely far from the city.

But that wasn't the main thing.

Above Rozz's head floated a translucent screen she had never seen before. She gently rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't an illusion.

"This character can unlock the Hero Cloud-Raising Plan."

"Huh?!"

"The Hero Cloud-Raising Plan above this Adventurer's head... what on earth does it mean?"

She had been in Orario for a while now, but the orange-haired goddess couldn't make sense of the situation right away. Then she remembered that back in the Heavens, plenty of gods had liked to observe other worlds.

It had to be something like a "game panel."

And now something so new and unheard of as a "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan" had appeared above an Adventurer's head in Orario. Even Demeter felt a strong surge of curiosity.

But by the time she came back to her senses and moved to approach the black-haired boy and greet him, Rozz had already vanished without a trace.

"..."

Demeter tilted her head, a trace of confusion surfacing on her mature, intelligent face. "Where did that child run off to?"

*

Since she'd decided to attend the banquet of principal gods hosted by Apollo, she had to prepare a proper outfit for Rozz no matter what.

It was fine if she herself got laughed at, but she absolutely couldn't let Rozz face the same thing!

That was what Hestia was thinking. Yet when it came to helping Rozz pick out clothes, she honestly wasn't especially good at it.

"I'll leave this to you~"

"Mm."

Each of them had her own agenda.

Rozz's Dungeon exploration had been gradually smoothing out, and as for equipment, unless she forged it for him herself...

At this stage, it seemed all she could do was use these little details to raise Rozz's Affection. And if all that Cuddling happened every day, wouldn't she look cheap?

That was what Hephaestus thought. Following the body measurements Hestia, that crazy woman, had dug up from who knows where, she helped Rozz pick out a suitable suit.

"This one should be good."

The red-haired goddess chose with great care, nodding seriously from time to time. "With Rozz's build, he should be able to carry it off perfectly!"

Meanwhile Hestia, with nothing at all to do, couldn't wait any longer. She opened the Exploration Log to check on Rozz's movements today, and more than that, she wanted to make sure that no stray women were stealing her home!

"Through training with a senior Adventurer, Rozz quickly mastered the huge boost in strength that came with his Level Up."

"Through consulting with her,"

"he was introduced to the advanced technique of 'Concurrent Chanting,' but since he had no magic to borrow, he had to halt that line of training."

Concurrent Chanting. This was a field Hestia was rather unfamiliar with. Gods really had a hard time coming into real contact with an Adventurer's life.

Hmm... it was something she wasn't good at. But she knew what the "Myriad Phenomena" magic Rozz possessed could do. If she just made use of her divine connections, maybe the problem could be solved?

At this thought, the young goddess's gaze drifted toward her best friend Hephaestus. Maybe she could find a solution through her!

"Believing that stats alone couldn't carry him to the other shore, Rozz began to consider the possibilities of 'Myriad Phenomena.'"

"Rozz started putting his imagination to work, controlling the range of his Mana Burst and changing the attributes of his spiritual power."

"He succeeded..."

"Drawing on the creativity granted by the 'Myriad Phenomena' magic, Rozz sorted out the effect he needed in his mind and verified it successfully."

"Rozz has unlocked a new Skill."

"Lightning Release: Lv1"

"So that's how the 'Myriad Phenomena' magic is used?"

Looking at the Exploration Log, Hestia's eyes went a little vacant. She carefully recalled that special magic from when she'd performed Rozz's Status Update.

Its effect was simple and brutal, and it would surely be extremely rare in Orario!

But the girl had never imagined that this magic could, through "imagination," produce all sorts of techniques out of thin air.

Mana Burst.

Lightning Release.

"Mm..."

"At this rate, there's a chance that someday Rozz might even surpass Loki Familia's Miss Riveria, isn't there?"

Exciting!

For Hestia, nothing made her happier than her own child having not only high stats but also a whole load of mechanics.

Noticing the girl standing behind her, grinning foolishly on the spot, Hephaestus frowned and asked, "Hestia, what's with you?"

"Nothing."

The young goddess didn't even bother pretending to panic. She changed the subject in the stiffest way possible. "So, have you finished picking out Rozz's clothes?"

"..."

Good thing she hadn't fully trusted this woman!

Hephaestus was glad she hadn't agreed that night. The corners of her mouth lifted in a quiet, pleased smile.

Guarding against her, huh?

Then I'll just go home and look openly!

Hehe~

At least for now, Hephaestus was convinced that starting Rozz's "Hero Cloud-Raising Plan" had been absolutely the right choice.

She waved a casual hand. "I can rush it out by tomorrow."

"It should be in time. Mm... the cost of the custom outfit will be deducted from your wages, so remember to tell Rozz clearly when you get home tonight."

"No problem."

How much could a custom outfit cost, anyway?

Besides, she already had the loan owed to Hephaestus, automatically deducted from her wages every month. Compared to that bill for three years of weapon forging, this little sum was nothing to Hestia.

Hestia waved a casual hand, looking at her best friend with eyes full of curiosity. "Is it like this, then? Will Rozz's Alias be settled?"

"In theory, yes."

"But I can't guarantee how many gods will rush back to Orario to join the fun once they hear about Rozz's breakthrough."

Only now did Hephaestus finally understand why this woman had gone completely obsessed from the moment she'd started the Hero Cloud-Raising Plan.

She finally got it. After all, she herself was now trying every method she could to raise Rozz's Affection and unlock the core nurturing functions.

As she answered Hestia's question, the red-haired goddess noticed a blind spot as well. In the past two days, she really hadn't heard a single word about Rozz anywhere in Orario.

By rights, the Adventurer Guild wasn't an airtight net. For no news to have leaked out at all would be unreasonable.

After thinking it over, Hephaestus looked at the girl again and asked with a frown, "Did you report Rozz's Level Up to the Guild?"

"Huh?"

A blank look crossed Hestia's eyes.

She raised her head. Founding a Familia, reporting members, registering the Familia Home... beyond those, she really hadn't heard of anything like this.

Seeing the state this woman was in, the red-haired goddess put a hand to her forehead, her eyes full of deep exasperation. "When an Adventurer Levels Up, it has to be registered at the Guild."

"If you hide it..."

"Once it's discovered, the lightest punishment is a fine. Anything more serious might even mean a forced expedition."

"!!"

Hearing this, Hestia snapped her head up. Whether it was the fine or a forced expedition for the Familia, neither was something the Familia could bear at this stage.

Mm... all she could say was that her friend had warned her just in time.

Facing Hephaestus's suspicious gaze, the girl waved her hands, her face full of awkwardness. "Hehe."

"You know how it is~"

"How long has it even been since I founded the Familia? I've been working at your shop this whole time, and I never expected Rozz to break through so fast."

"You're right."

"As a goddess, I can't hold him back. I'll go report to the Guild right now!"

"..."

Especially after hearing what Hestia had just said.

That was plain, blatant bragging!

The red-haired goddess felt like her teeth were about to crack. This woman had the luck of a dog stumbling onto a treasure, running into a subordinate as outstanding as Rozz.

She was honestly a little sour about it...

"Right..."

Hephaestus murmured softly, and when she thought about how she'd still have to foot the bill for her, her mood grew even stranger. "What gives her the right?"

"If you keep this up, don't blame me for resorting to illegal means!"

*

After leaving the shopping district, Hestia's destination was perfectly clear: Pantheon, where the Adventurer Guild was located, to register Rozz's current level.

She couldn't let her child take the blame just because she, as a goddess, was unprofessional.

That made no sense!

Even if she scraped together every last coin in her pockets, she wouldn't have 500,000 valis, let alone cover a forced expedition, which was far harder still.

Counting on only Rozz and Lili to complete an expedition, Hestia didn't even dare imagine how high the risk would be.

"Hehe."

"I just don't know what paperwork I need to fill out."

Standing in front of the pure-white palace, the young goddess didn't hesitate for a moment. She strode in decisively, and the one handling reception this time was, once again, that half-elf staff member.

Eina Tulle.

She wore a women's suit vest over a white long-sleeved shirt, and her lovely figure was perfectly outlined.

Noticing that a god had come to visit, Eina, the poster girl of the Adventurer Guild, took on the reception duty herself, largely because of the goddess's identity.

Hestia.

She was the goddess of Rozz, the rookie Adventurer Eina was in charge of. It had been a while since they'd last met.

Eina greeted her with a smile and asked, "Lady Hestia, is there something I can help you with?"

"Mm..."

Having said that, the half-elf girl couldn't hold back and asked, "Also, I haven't seen Mr. Rozz at all lately, so I wanted to ask... is Mr. Rozz's exploration going well?"

"Of course it's going well."

Why did it feel like this Guild employee was awfully interested in her own little cabbage?

Still, Hestia wasn't about to jump to wild conclusions. She put her hands on her hips, her tone full of pride. "I came today to take care of something for Rozz!"

"Hm?"

"Thanks to his hard work over the past half month, our Rozz has successfully gone from rookie Adventurer to Lv2!"

"...?"

[Author's Note: Update 1 of the day. There are still 4,000 more characters to go, and I'll definitely post them before midnight tonight. I'm setting a flag here: if I don't, this author is... a femboy!]

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