CHAPTER 1
RABBIT CLOSE-UP
“Thank you.”
Bell rose and bowed to Hestia.
“So it took, what, two months for you to go from Level Three to Level Four? Last time it was one month, so leveling up is getting steadily harder…but wow, your growth is truly astounding.”
“Uh…sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
Hestia and Bell were inside one of the rooms within Hearthstone Manor. Bell had been sitting on the edge of a bed while Hestia updated his status until he rose to take the stat sheet from Hestia before sitting back down. She lowered herself beside him. As he looked over the Koine text, his expression remained calm and quiet—or rather, earnest.
He hadn’t shown any sign of surprise at hearing he’d leveled up, either.
Perhaps he’d sensed it would happen—a feeling that his vessel would rise to the next stage.
After all, he had made it through a life-or-death struggle with his greatest rival.
“Bell.”
“Yes?”
“That black minotaur…Asterios, right? Was he…strong?”
“…Yes.”
He nodded as if lost in thought.
The Guild had determined that the potential of the black minotaur—officially, it had been designated a subspecies of black rhino, a creature found in the deep levels—was Level 7. They’d recorded it as a first-class bounty monster based on the fact that during its rampage through the city, it had fought numerous adventurers, including some members of Loki Familia, making it as dangerous as a Monster Rex.
Bell hadn’t taken Asterios down, but he was the only one to fight him head-on. A Level-3 adventurer took on a Level-7 monster and had come back alive. Without a doubt, it was a tremendous achievement. There certainly seemed to be adequate justification for Bell’s leveling up, even though he had lost to Asterios.
But in this boy’s case…
Hestia reflected on the current situation. The defeat might have meant something exceptional to Bell. Just as Freya had said at the most recent Denatus, some excelia had a special meaning, and this was one of those cases. As Hestia looked at the sitting boy whose eyes were downcast as if recalling a memory, she couldn’t help but feel that was the case. The rematch with the minotaur had drawn out his potential. Fate was an apt word to describe it.
Of course, the groundwork for leveling up had been laid before the fight with Asterios. There had been Bell’s struggle with Ishtar Familia, his steady progress to reach the twentieth floor of the Dungeon, and then his battle against the violent hunters over the Xenos. There was no doubt about it—ever since he reached Level 3, he had been continuously accumulating high-grade excelia that was essential to leveling up.
The battle with Asterios had only been the final push.
“…Anyway, about your status…As usual, the count for your basic abilities has been reset, so the numbers start from zero again. There was only one development ability to choose when you leveled up, so I went ahead and gave it to you. Was that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Also, you’ve probably already noticed, but…you have a new skill.”
Hestia had shaken off her meditative mood and was updating Bell on his Level-4 status. He nodded firmly, as if he was receiving something important, but that was all. Hestia shifted her gaze to his back.
Bell Cranell
Level 4
Power: IO Defense: IO Dexterity: IO Agility: IO Magic: IO Luck: G Immunity: H Escape: I
Magic
Firebolt
• Swift-strike magic
Skills
Liaris Freese
• Rapid growth
• Continued desire results in continued growth
• Stronger desire results in stronger growth
Argonaut
• Charges automatically with active action
Ox Slayer
• When fighting minotaurs, all abilities are exponentially enhanced
To start with, his new development ability was Escape.
According to information provided by the Guild, this ability greatly enhanced speed during evasive maneuvers. More simply put, it allowed the user to make a quick exit. It only appeared at Level 4 or higher, and it was rare…but on the other hand, it was considered dishonorable because it manifested only in adventurers who had shown a truly extraordinary propensity for running away in the past.
Thinking back on it, ever since the time he was a Level-1 adventurer all the way to the present, Bell had always been chased by something. From the minotaur and the silverback to Apollo Familia and Ishtar Familia, Bell Cranell’s story was a timeline of escapes.
Hestia knew that, and she accepted that this ability had manifested for Bell. She did have some thoughts on the subject, but in the end, development abilities were rare and it was important to take whatever was available.
She was more interested in the third skill.
Ox Slayer was a slayer-type skill, meaning it could be used only against a specific type of enemy.
By this point, there was little need to explain why it had appeared. It was the boy’s instinct, potential, and sheer will, made manifest through the mortal struggle with his old adversary. In all likelihood, the skill would allow Bell to draw on battle abilities well beyond his level whenever he fought Asterios or other minotaur-type monsters. It would make Bell an Ox Slayer in both name and reality.
Hestia had been silently examining the status sheet, but now she slowly shifted her gaze away from it.
“…”
Bell looked as if he had finally come to his senses.
Unlike when he had leveled up in the past, this time he hadn’t romped around like an excited little kid. But even though his expression was calm, he had forgotten to put his clothes back on, and his eyes were practically burning a hole in the sheet. Having accepted his new strength, he was completely absorbed in his thoughts, as if he was reflecting on some distant scene.
Hestia had never seen him look like this before.
He’s changed, she thought to herself.
The same single-minded desire to “grow stronger” still emanated powerfully from his body. But the feelings and meaning contained in those words had changed.
He had shed a skin, broken through his shell.
Perhaps that was the way to describe it.
“You’re really…just getting cooler and cooler.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
Unlike the unchanging deities, Bell did evolve, and Hestia would have been lying if she said that didn’t make her a little bit lonely. But that feeling was outweighed by pure joy—both as a patron deity and a girl—over the boy’s growth.
“Hey Bell, listen to this.”
“…?”
“I have this other name that’s a symbol for what I do and also kind of like a title…Vesta.”
“Vesta…”
“Right. In the language of the deities, it means ‘sacred flame.’”
“…Why are you telling me this now?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I looked at you and I just wanted to tell you.”
Bell looked up, and Hestia narrowed her eyes and grinned a little. Still sitting next to him on the bed, she turned her gaze toward the ceiling, squeezed her eyes shut, and let the smile spread over her face.
The sound of footsteps echoes through the air on a gentle wind.
Under a blue sky, Orario is neither too hot nor too cold. The temperature is perfectly comfortable. The height of summer has passed, and the breeze that brushes against my skin brings a hint of still-distant autumn. Soon it’ll be harvest season.
That’s where my thoughts go as I gaze out at the landscape beyond the city parapets—a scene of green forests, wide-open grasslands, and modest mountains.
Once again, I’m atop the city walls. For the past few days since my status was updated, my feet have been carrying me here as if by habit.
Or maybe I wanted to send a message down to that underground maze where my promises and my final fight await…to declare that I’ve leveled up, and now my feet are starting to move in earnest.
“…In order to move forward, do I need to rest?”
Rest your body and soul well.
That’s what Hestia said to me after the Xenos incident came to a close.
I pushed myself relentlessly for ten days after Ikelos Familia initially stirred up trouble. Now that I’m free from that upheaval, I’ve given myself over to peace and relaxation. That’s part of an adventurer’s job, too. The goddess was right when she said that a warrior’s rest is very important. Thanks to her advice, my body is well on its way to full recovery.
Aside from my own physical state, a lot of my weapons and equipment were half-destroyed or lost altogether. Right now, our smith, Welf, is swamped with the work of fixing and replacing everything—although he sounded very happy when he told me this was an opportunity to craft new things. So this is also a period of preparation as I wait for my new gear to be ready.
Honestly, though, I can’t sit still.
I promised myself I’d get stronger, and that vow is roaring in my chest.
But for now, it’s like the goddess said—I should be resting. I’ve got to hold back my impatient heart and build myself up for the coming challenges. I recall the image of my opponent’s black back heading toward the Dungeon and look down at my palms.
…I feel strange.
I’m terribly calm, and this calmness strikes me as odd. In the past, I would have been restless at a time like this, searching for something to do and rushing desperately forward. But right now, I’m so calm and collected I surprise even myself.
When that worthy opponent beat me, regret and frustration overwhelmed me, and I cried pitifully. But after that, something seemed to change inside me.
And speaking of changes…
Ever since that day, my surroundings have changed a bit as well.
First of all, the harsh treatment I was getting from the townsfolk has softened considerably. The change isn’t as dramatic as it was after I dominated the War Game, but at the very least I’m not the target of quite as much criticism and disdain. Lilly says the townsfolk started to see me differently after they witnessed my battle…and it’s true that people greet me more often out on the streets now, especially those hot-blooded dwarves.
The biggest shock was when Lai and the other kids from the orphanage visited our home. To my surprise, Maria led them to our front door, where they apologized to me. The children said their thanks, too. We’re sorry we said all those bad things, thank you for saving us, you were so cool…I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to hear Lai and Fina say those earnest words while blushing. But I felt bad at the same time.
Lai and the other kids don’t know about the Xenos. They simply think I rescued them from scary monsters. That’s true for the townsfolk, too. Lilly happened to be there with me when the kids came, and both of us shared in the same guilt. A wave of dejection that I can’t put into words rose up in my chest. But the half-elf Ruu washed that feeling away.
“Big brother…You were right. Thank you…for fighting for all of us.”
He buried his face happily in my stomach, and his words…saved me.
Like the others, he doesn’t know a thing about the Xenos. But to me, it sounded almost like he was affirming the existence of Wiene and Lido and all the others. There were definitely tears in my eyes as I quietly hugged him and returned him to the group.
“…”
Now, I stand here on the city walls thinking back on that scene while enjoying the sensation of the wind blowing between the parapet and the path. Slowly, I turn around.
I sense a presence and hear the footsteps of two people. A moment later my visitors appear at the top of the steps leading to the upper level of the wall.
“Hey there, Bell.”
“Sir Hermes…”
The god with yellow-orange hair is with his follower Asfi. He lightly tips his feathered traveler’s cap in greeting.
Just then, I notice something.
“Um…What is that red mark on your face? It looks like someone kicked you…”
“I stopped by your home on my way here…Ha-ha, when I met Hestia she drop-kicked me.”
I break into a sweat at the unexpected mention of a dropkick right as Asfi lets out a sigh. Hermes—with the imprint of Hestia’s foot clear on his handsome face—laughs hollowly. But it’s easy for me to guess why Hestia acted so violently.
“Bell—I’m sorry.”
As if he’s read my mind, Hermes straightens his back and apologizes to me. Then he holds his cap to his chest and bows, looking for all the world like a nobleman. I stare at him. Asfi seems surprised, too, apparently not expecting this, either.
“I wanted to apologize about the incident with the Xenos. I used Gros and the other monsters even though I knew it would hurt you.”
Five days ago, after sending off Wiene and the others, I fought against Gros and the winged Xenos. I know now that was part of Hermes’s plot. He backed the Xenos into a corner and hoped I would destroy them. No doubt Hestia attacked Hermes when he showed his face at our home because she was mad about his scheming.
But Hermes doesn’t tell me why he did it. All he says is, “Do you hate me?”
“…I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I can’t forgive what you did to Gros and the others…but you’ve saved the goddess and me many times in the past. I…don’t know what to think.”
Was he simply acting with the capriciousness typical of a deity and enjoying the situation as a welcome distraction? If he claimed that, I might believe him. But instincts say that he wasn’t helping us and acting behind the scenes merely to amuse himself. I think he was acting in line with a certain ideal or his own Will.
Hermes rises from his bow and smiles at my response.
“If you don’t forgive me, that’s fine, too. You don’t need to understand me. But—I’m probably going to keep on meddling in your life. I know you might resent me for it now, and later as well.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Well…because I’m a fan of yours.”
I’ve heard that phrase somewhere before. But right now, the expression on Hermes’s face isn’t his typical gentle smile. Instead, his narrowed eyes and upturned corners of his mouth remind me of a deity looking down on his children from the heavens.
“Anyhow, I’ve done what I came to do. I wanted to take responsibility for my evil plot now that I’ve been exposed. I’ve already made my appearance before Hestia, too, so I’ll take my leave.”
He replaces his cap on his head and turns away from me. Then, like a temperamental wind, he leaves.
“Bell Cranell…If you can look at things rationally, I ask you to not hate him.”
Asfi has remained behind, and for a moment, she gazes at the receding figure of her patron deity like a mother minding a troublesome child.
“Despite what he did, he was worried about you,” she says before bowing and turning on her heels.
I watch the two of them disappear down the stairs. Just then, as if taking their place, another visitor arrives.
“—Well, well. I never guessed my visit would coincide with the god Hermes’s.”
“Fels…”
“I see you’ve guessed it’s me. I seem to have poor timing, as the deities like to say.”
Shrugging off a veil, the black-clad mage materializes from thin air. Fels is wearing a black hood that hides the wearer’s face and gloves of the same color. The ghostly mage turns toward me, still about five paces away.
“Were you hiding all this time?”
“Yes…I thought I’d probably fly into a rage if I came face-to-face with Hermes, so I waited until they left.”
I sure am getting a lot of visitors today.
It seems Fels hasn’t forgiven Hermes, either. It may be dislike, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the mage is filled with complicated feelings toward the god. In any case, Hermes seems to be earning himself a lot of ill will. The image of his wryly smiling face and slightly pained words rises in my memory.
The black robe quivers as if its wearer is sighing, then Fels’s gaze falls on me.
“Now that everything is finally wrapped up, I came to see how you were doing. Are you feeling like your old self again?”
“Yes.”
“…Your expression has changed quite a bit. The news of your level-up to Level Four just arrived at the Guild…To me, you look nothing like the Bell from several days ago—although of course I don’t have eyeballs,” the skeleton jokes, peering at me in admiration.
So it’s like I’m a completely different person…Is that really true? I certainly can’t tell.
What I am sure of is that the desire to get stronger blazes much more fiercely within my chest than it did before.
“Bell Cranell, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
Fels pauses for a moment, then speaks slowly.
“Have you decided…what to do next?”
“…”
I remain silent. In order to catch up with my idol, to keep my promise to Wiene, to settle matters with my rival…I know what I need to do. I’ve already decided. But it takes me a few seconds to put it into words.
“I’m planning to go into the Dungeon again. So I can…become stronger.”
As the wind whistles around the towering city wall, Fels stares at me. The gaze I give in return doesn’t waver. The mage nods.
“You seem to have made up your mind…But I also detect a hint of indecision.”
“…”
“I don’t want you to die. Just like Lido said in the Hidden Village, that’s my honest wish. And for that reason, I intend to meddle in your affairs a bit—although I may not be able to completely eliminate your hesitation.”
The black-clad mage quietly lifts one hand.
“Bell Cranell, I’m going to give you a reason to fight.”
Fels points beyond my feet, at the landscape spread out far, far below.
“You must clear the deepest floor of the Dungeon. If you don’t do that, the human race and the Xenos will never be able to coexist.”
“…!”
Fels continues speaking as I stand stock-still, staring.
“Of course, Ouranos and I will continue to help them…but in the end, if you can’t manage this, then the future we both hope for is not likely to arrive.”
The deepest floor of the Dungeon.
It takes a minute for the words to penetrate every corner of my being and for me to comprehend them.
Slowly, I open my mouth to speak.
“What…is on the deepest floor of the Dungeon?”
What is the Dungeon? I’ve posed that very question to the goddess before. Fels answers me in a quiet voice.
“Your vow…and how you’ll settle your battle.”
The words, so quiet they are nearly drowned out by the wind, drop in the space between us.
Fels hasn’t explained the reason why I need to clear the deepest floor of the Dungeon, nor how that’s connected to the Xenos. The only thing that’s been revealed is the hard truth, and the Will that most likely originates from Ouranos.
“Bell Cranell, if you want to help Lido and the other Xenos…then please find a way to keep moving forward.”
“…”
“May the light accompany you on your journey.”
Having finished speaking, Fels shakes out the veil, throws it on, and vanishes from sight. The sound of measured footsteps fades away, and silence descends around me.
Alone on the city walls once again, I turn and stare out at the scene before me. A huge tower brushes against the heavens, and below it, an enormous maze sprawls across the bottom of the earth.
On the thirtieth floor of Babel, the titanic structure at the center of Orario, an abnormal din filled the halls. A Denatus was under way.
Deities young and old, male and female, were attending the so-called advisory council, which was about to begin. All of them had too much time on their hands.
“It’s been a while since the last Denatus, hasn’t it?”
“That’s because right when it was time to hold one, Ikelos Familia went and caused all that trouble.”
“Who could possibly host a Denatus in the middle of such a racket?”
The meetings were supposed to take place every three months, but due to events surrounding the Xenos, the latest one had been postponed. Now, after repeated delays, the deities were chatting excitedly as they gathered in the large hall. Some were even stretching in preparation, though there was no reason for it whatsoever.
Hermes isn’t here…Well, maybe that’s for the best. If I saw him again so soon after his visit, I might drop-kick him again!
Hestia was sitting at an enormous table that could seat fifty. She craned her neck around. She still hadn’t forgiven Hermes for what he’d done, and just thinking about it got her worked up. She scanned the faces in the hall. Loki, Freya, Miach, Hephaistos, Takemikazuchi, and Ganesha were all present…Aside from Apollo and Ishtar, who had been banished and sent away, the crowd was almost identical to the one at the last meeting. But a lot had happened in those three months, including the conflicts between her familia and those belonging to Apollo and Ishtar. Hestia couldn’t help thinking back on the dizzying swirl of events and reflecting on the richness of time in the mortal plane.
“I am Ganesha!! More importantly, I am the facilitator of this meeting!”
“No way!”
“Ugh, if Ganesha is moderator, I’m going home…”
“Wait, wait, don’t be hasty!”
“All righty then! I, Ganesha, will recount the recent events in the city!”
The god in the elephant mask energetically got the meeting started. First came the regular briefing, where information about the city and other locations was exchanged. But despite Ganesha’s enthusiasm, the briefing ended almost before it had started.
“Any questions? Speak up—I’m happy to answer any questions you have!” Ganesha prodded. The attendees, however, seemed to want nothing more than to get things over in a hurry. This was depressing to Ganesha, who had devoted himself day and night to maintaining the peace in Orario.
He’s not going to mention the Xenos, is he…?
Hestia felt slightly apprehensive about the topic, but it seemed that Ganesha wanted to hold his tongue, too.
“Okay, let’s move on to the Naming Ceremony, then…” Ganesha announced spiritlessly. The instant he did, the mood in the room transformed. The deities were suddenly full of life and exploding with excitement.
“Yes, finally!”
“This is what I was waiting for!”
“It’s the only reason I showed up today!”
Everyone grabbed copies of the Guild documents that were being passed around the table and eagerly began flipping through them.
The last page was what caught the attention of many in the group. That’s where they found the information about the white-haired human, hurriedly updated at the last minute by Guild staff, just like it had been at the last Denatus. The Little Rookie, Bell Cranell.
“I’ve never seen a kid pop up at the Denatus so many times in a row.”
“Yeah, can you believe he leveled up twice, from Level Two to Three and then Four? My goodness.”
“Insane!”
Voices rippled out from around the oval table. They were all exuberant, joyful cheers of support. The goddess of beauty smiled sweetly, while the goddess of tricksters narrowed her eyes and hummed a tune.
How was the boy able to grow so rapidly?
None of the deities in attendance uttered such an insensitive question as that. Everyone agreed that someone who had shown himself capable in a decisive fight with the minotaur was worthy of being called a hero. Their grins deepened and spread around the table.
It’s okay; it’s going to be okay…
Meanwhile, Hestia’s expression became stiffer and stiffer as the other deities grew more excited.
Our group is more respectable now, with a big home and everything. Our familia has even leveled up alongside Bell…Yes, things are really different from how they were three months ago…! And my own ability to speak up should be improving, too…!
The young goddess squeezed her hand into a fist. Dripping sweat and struggling with her internal worries, she focused all her energy on avoiding a title that might embarrass Bell.
Soon, the Naming Ceremony would begin in earnest.
“Now then, let’s get right to giving Bell his new nickname!”
“Wait, let’s save the main dish for last!!”
“Yeah, someone else at Loli’s place leveled up, too.”
“Yeah, yeah…that Pyonkichi kid, Wel-something-or-other, right?”
“Right, then, we’ll start by deciding on a name for Welf Crozzo!”
“Ignis, the Ever Burning.”
“Perfect!”
“That’s for sure.”
“Yes, it’s decided!”
“As the boy said himself, ‘This is nowhere near enough to quell the fires you stoked in my heart.’”
“Oh, I’m dying!”
“It’s just right!”
Just like that, the deities decided on Welf’s nickname. Hestia wanted to protect him, but she decided this was better than most alternatives the crowd was likely to come up with and let it go. All the same, it could be quite a blow to Welf…
She glanced diagonally across the table. The goddess of the forge, her close friend, had carelessly boasted about Welf’s declaration of love before, and now her words had come back to haunt her. Her eyes were fixed in the opposite direction as she blushed deep red.
“Two people in Takemikazuchi Familia leveled up as well.”
“The kid from the Far East!”
“I’d say Black Locks is a good one.”
“Chigusa Hitachi…She’s shy, but I can tell she’d make a good wife.”
“How about Love Bird, Takemikazuchi?”
“It’s better than Eternal ? Shadow!”
The Naming Ceremony proceeded without a hitch, and soon enough, it was Bell’s turn. Hestia, who was experiencing déjà vu, inhaled deeply then held her breath.
The other deities were grinning and murmuring that the crucial moment had come. As they exchanged glances as if to ask who would start the debate—the elegant goddess of beauty raised her fresh and youthful arm.
“Might I offer an opinion?”
“…?!”
Freya made a move!!
A murmur passed through the gathering. Not only the terrified Hestia but the Denatus as a whole had reached a peak of nervous tension and excitement.
“What’s this? Lady Freya herself is showing interest?”
“So you’re a fan of Bell’s now, are you?”
“I am indeed. I couldn’t help feeling a thrill as I watched that battle.”
The notorious Freya had finally laid her eyes on the Little Rookie! This was surely a sign of trouble to come.
The deities, who had no inkling of Freya’s true involvement, assumed her interest in the boy to be an inevitable development. After all, Bell Cranell could hardly escape the notice after causing such a stir throughout the city. Some of the deities even suspected the goddess of beauty had developed feelings for the boy and watched in amusement to see what would happen.
Among the crowd, Hestia alone was feeling extremely on edge.
“Freya…I trust you’ll choose a good nickname for my Bell,” Hestia said with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
“Now, now, Hestia, comments like that only make me more nervous,” Freya responded, smiling back beatifically. Even the gods, who would normally be teasing the Goddess Loli in a situation like this, were overawed. Had the final battle of Ragnarök finally arrived?
Freya brought one hand to her cheek and put on a great show of hemming and hawing before finally flashing a brilliant grin.
“What do you think of Vanadis Odr, Companion of Vanadis?”
“Hey, Hey, Heeeeeeeeey!!!”
Hestia slammed both her fists down onto the table with a loud bang and stood up.
“‘Companion,’ my ass! Bell belongs to my familia!!”
“What, you didn’t like my suggestion?”
“What the hell is there to like?!”
Everyone knew that Freya was an extremely passionate goddess. For the moment, the deities set aside the question of whether her initial proposal was sincere, a joke, or an attempt to meddle in Hestia’s business and chattered with glee. Her supporters were especially excited to see a display of her queenly behavior once again at a Denatus.
Even though the boy’s patron deity immediately shot down Freya’s suggestion, she showed no sign of being upset. Instead, she smiled mischievously and withdrew her proposal with a sigh and a “Too bad.”
“That’s no good! Vanadis Odr, are you kidding? You’re way too obsessed with sex, and it doesn’t make any sense anyway,” Loki commented with a roar of laughter.
“Okay then, Loki, what’s your suggestion?” Freya countered.
“Hmm, let me think…”
Dramatically ignoring Hestia’s glare, which all but screamed, Don’t say anything stupid! Loki raised a finger into the air.
“Fool’s Plaything.”
“Get out of here!!” Hestia shouted with indignation. “Anyway, why should he be your plaything?”
Soon, all the other deities were piling onto the nasty party that Freya and Loki had started.
“Yeah, I have an idea! Chestnut Cream!”
“Oh Be-ell! Marry me! How about Wedding Bell?!”
“You just turned eighty percent of the deities in this room against you!”
“That huge smile on Freya’s face is the deadliest look I’ve ever seen!”
“Eeeeee!”
“Shut up and listen to my song! It’s called ‘Lucky Pyonkichi’!”
“Give it up already!”
“Brave Long-Ears!”
“Youuuu’re trying too hard.”
“He doesn’t even have long ears!”
“Let’s get away from the rabbit theme.”
“Doesn’t he have any other distinguishing features? Like, some other rumor or information about him?”
“Now that I think about it, there was a rumor at one point that the kid was a monster lover.”
“What…?”
“So that means…he’ll go for humans, and he’ll go for monsters…and he’ll even go for us deities?”
“How about All Okay?!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!!!”
Hestia’s patience had reached its limit. Screaming, she waved both arms in the air. Takemikazuchi and Miach tried to calm her down, but even as they did, the other deities continued to roar with bawdy laughter. Hestia howled with rage. Chaos in the room was reaching a fever pitch.
Finally, someone mentioned it was time to get serious, and the deities put an end to their rowdy jokes. With the help of Miach and Takemikazuchi, Hestia—who was still panting hard—managed to wrench a safe nickname for Bell from the group.
“Shit…They really messed with me.”
After the meeting ended, Hestia threw her head down on the table, completely out of breath. Hephaistos sat beside her, smiling wryly.
“That’s because you’re really moving up in the world these days. It was a kind of baptism, in one sense,” she said.
Perhaps because they had succeeded in teasing the cheeky Goddess Loli, the other deities left the room looking very pleased with themselves. Their number included Freya, who cast a sidelong glance and a smirk at Hestia as she left, as well as Loki, who hugged her stomach and tried to catch her breath after laughing far too hard. Hestia watched them leave with a critical look in her narrowed eyes.
“But in the end, Bell’s honor has been protected…I’d better get back home and tell everybody…Oh, but I just want to rest for a minute…”
Hestia seemed to have expended her last bit of energy waving good-bye to Miach and Takemikazuchi. She looked completely exhausted.
“Hestia, your familia’s rank went up, didn’t it?” Hephaistos asked her.
“Huh? Uh, yeah, when Bell rose to Level Four, our familia went from E to D…But why do you want to know?”
Hestia looked up with a puzzled expression at her friend, the red-haired, red-eyed goddess sitting next to her. As she had explained, with Bell’s improvement, the Guild decided that the familia’s fighting strength had increased as well, and consequently raised its level.
Hephaistos shrugged.
“In that case, a notice should be coming soon.”
“…A notice?” Hestia asked, tilting her head quizzically.
A large number of demi-humans was jostling in the hall.
The crowd was gathered around the huge bulletin board that stood in one corner of the Guild Headquarters lobby. The adventurers had rushed there as soon as they heard that the Denatus had ended, because the nicknames chosen at the Naming Ceremony would be posted there first. A few curious townsfolk and merchants could even be spotted among the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of the deities’ influence.
The instant the Guild staff finished pinning up the list of names, dozens of eyes zeroed in on the cork bulletin board. Sighs of admiration and voices both happy and sad began to rise from the crowd.
“…Oh, look at that.”
“I know; I can see for myself!”
Most of the spectators were looking for one nickname in particular. They craned their necks and squinted, reaching out their hands to point. All attention gathered on one name, one adventurer, and the commotion melded into a singular buzz. The animal-person master and servant, the pair of prum sisters standing eagerly on tiptoe, the group of beautiful elves, the ruffian dwarves with scarred faces, and the Amazons licking their lips were all talking about one nickname in particular.
Bell watched the scene from the back of the crowd.
“Oh…Bell Cranell.”
The moment someone mumbled his name, all the adventurers turned toward him in unison. Then, having noted his presence, they fell silent, as if it had been arranged beforehand. Bell had just arrived at the bulletin board, and as he stepped toward the front, he realized that he was the center of attention.
“Excuse me, excuse me,” he mumbled as the crowd parted to let him pass. He walked down the path that had opened for him, stopped in front of the large wooden board, and looked up at it. He found his name and read the nickname granted him by the deities.
“Rabbit Foot.”
That was his new title.
His old nickname, which painted him as a rapidly-growing yet immature rookie, was gone, and in its place was a new one that extolled his appearance and incomparably fast feet, and it was gained in record time to boot!
Some of the adventurers around Bell glared at him with hostility, while others smiled or seemed envious, but everyone recognized the amazing achievements of the record-holding rabbit. Unlike before, when he was ridiculed as a fake, there was no sign of jealousy, and no one considered him an impertinent rookie. There was nothing but praise.
Bell could sense it with his whole body, but he couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. He turned toward the reception desk, hoping to escape the crowd and consult with his adviser. He searched out the half-elf from among the receptionists who were looking at him and chattering in girlish voices, but—
“…Miss Eina?”
“…”
The half-elf receptionist just stared at him. It was as if the beautiful emerald eyes behind her glasses were watching some other far-off scene, and her cheeks were as flushed as if she had a cold.
Bell didn’t know what to do, since Eina was just standing there motionless.
“Eina, Eina. Mr. Bell is here, look!”
“—!”
Eina gave a start as her coworker Misha poked her. Finally, she looked directly at Bell, but she immediately lost her composure and flushed even redder, sputtering, “Uh, um, oh?!” Uncharacteristically flustered, she withdrew something from the counter.
“B-Bell!…T-take this!”
“Huh?”
She was holding a pure-white sealed letter.
Bell looked back and forth between Eina’s face and the letter. Some of the adventurers watching from the sidelines screeched, “No way, Miss Eina wrote a love letter?!” but Bell recoiled in surprise as soon as he took the letter in his hand.
From the feel of the envelope, he could tell right away that the paper was of high quality and the sealing wax was imprinted with the Guild’s seal.
Bell had seen a letter like this before. He scanned his memory for the details, and unconsciously his lips moved.
“A mission…?”
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