CHAPTER 1
DENATUS
“I’m so sorry!”
Eina clapped her hands together with a loud smack and bowed her head.
They had moved from the Guild Headquarters reception counter to a small conference room just off the Guild lobby. This modestly decorated room was normally used for one-on-one conversations because it was soundproof.
Bell and Eina sat across from each other on either side of the desk as she apologized over and over.
“To scream like that when there were so many members of other Familias there…I’m very, very sorry!”
Just minutes earlier, Eina had yelled personal information at the top of her lungs. All who were within earshot now knew that Bell had leveled up.
No matter how surprised she had been by the news, just thinking about the looks she had received after her outburst was enough to make her face burn bright red.
She had failed to protect an adventurer’s personal information. Eina was so ashamed by her actions that even her ears seemed to blush.
“I-it’s not a problem, Miss Eina. Adventurers’ levels always get announced, anyway…So a few people found out a little early. That’s not a big deal, is it?”
The half-elf hadn’t even tried to raise her head, and it was starting to make Bell feel uneasy. His voice shook as he searched for the right words.
A worried look appeared on his face as she finally made eye contact with this boy who couldn’t grasp the real problem.
That’s true…But the issue here isn’t the fact you leveled up; it’s the speed at which you did it…
Reaching Level 2 in just over a month was by far and away the fastest level-up on record. Even putting it into words was absolutely ludicrous.
Leveling up required a grand act—such as slaying an enemy stronger than yourself, and overloading the container that is your soul, with excelia. Eina was one of the few people who knew how fast Bell has been growing, but for even his Level to go up this quickly…It was as if he had shattered the most common of common sense.
Even though this information would have been announced eventually, Eina would’ve liked to have kept it a secret for as long as possible.
It was an unlikely story to begin with, and many would not believe it…The gods and goddesses, however, loved this sort of “never been done before” story.
Images of the deities of Orario staring at Bell and drooling with excitement popped up in Eina’s head. She started feeling a bit queasy.
“Um, Miss Eina…?”
“…It’s nothing. Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there.”
Trying to shake off the visions of gods and goddesses chasing Bell around the city, Eina straightened up and forced an awkward smile. Letting out a quick sigh, she returned her attention to the matter at hand.
“Bell, I must apologize again, but I have a request. I know you came all the way here to talk to me…but I have some work to do.”
“Y-yes, sure. What can I help with?”
“I want you to tell me everything you’ve done as an adventurer up to this point.”
“Huh…?”
“Even a rough outline is okay. The kind of monsters you fought, the quests you completed, things like that.”
Eina pulled a pen and notepad out of the desk as she spoke.
The Guild collected and announced data on how adventurers leveled up, so long as it didn’t cross the lines set by each Familia pertaining to the personal information of their members. This was all to help increase the collection rate of magic stones from the Dungeon.
Since Bell had just achieved the fastest level-up on record, Eina wanted to focus on the way he gathered excelia. His name would most likely be well known soon, and a record of his exploits would be something no one would overlook.
In short: “This is how Bell did it. Follow his example and get stronger.”
Eina wanted to get this information because casualties would decrease if other adventurers knew how to grow as fast as Bell. Careful not to break any more rules, she listened carefully to everything he had to say.
Bell finally reached the events of three days ago.
For the second time that day, Eina’s head started to spin.
“A M-Minotaur…”
Thump. Eina’s head tilted limply over before she brought her right hand up to support it.
—Three days ago, ninth level, encountered a Minotaur, slew it.
Every word out of Bell’s mouth made Eina more and more light-headed. Everything he said matched Loki Familia’s report perfectly.
When she’d asked the messenger to tell her who had taken care of the monster, he’d sounded a bit ambiguous. Eina could remember his muddled words as she stood behind the counter at the Guild. Naturally it would have been hard for anyone to believe that a Level 1-ish adventurer could slay a Minotaur.
Eina closed her eyes for a moment to shake off the dizziness before opening them in a blaze of anger.
She glared accusingly at the boy as if to say, After all those times I told you not to go on adventures! Bell broke out in a cold sweat, his body shrinking in the chair.
Just what kind of magic did he use…?!
She spent almost an hour trying to get a clear answer of exactly how a Level 1 adventurer managed to take down a Level 2 monster like a Minotaur.
“…Whew. I’ve got a pretty good idea now. A pretty good idea of just how little you actually listen to what I say.”
“Huh?! No, that’s—…I’m sorry.”
Anger still radiating off of Eina, she closed her eyes as Bell tried to explain himself. However, his voice trailed off halfway through and he ended up apologizing and hanging his head.
Opening one eye to see a very depressed Bell sinking in his chair, Eina couldn’t help but feel a little put off by his childish way of regretting his actions.
On the other hand, she was glad to know that Bell fully realized what he had done.
If he had been off by so much as one second at any point during that battle, he wouldn’t be here to reflect upon it now.
“…Bell. I wasn’t there, so there is a chance I could be wrong. Perhaps your decision not to escape was the right one after all.”
“Miss Eina…”
“I might not have the right to scold you…but still—please don’t ever forget this one thing: Everything is meaningless once you’re dead.”
I’m begging you, she said to the boy with her gaze.
She couldn’t hide her own conviction that coming back home alive was the most important thing of all.
Bell hadn’t moved in the slightest from his position on the chair, but he slowly raised his eyes to meet hers and nodded.
Their eyes locked for a long moment before Eina lightly cleared her throat. In an attempt to clear the slightly gloomy atmosphere that filled the room, she leaned over the table and extended her finger all the way up to Bell’s eyes.
“In any case—just don’t be reckless, understand?”
“Y-yes!”
Eina bopped her finger on the tip of Bell’s nose before smiling and returning to her seat.
That’s enough reprimanding for today, she thought to herself.
Her brown hair swishing just above her shoulders, she looked at Bell with a warm smile.
“…Bell, congratulations on your advancement to Level Two. You’ve been working very hard.”
His nose still slightly indented from Eina’s finger, Bell’s face lit up as he smiled from ear to ear.
He wasn’t a particularly conceited person, but those were the words that Bell really wanted to hear just then.
“Thank you very much,” he said with red cheeks. His adviser Eina, who had watched him grow since his very first day as an adventurer, couldn’t help but feel proud.
“Should we leave it at just the level-up announcement for today? Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”
“Ah, that’s right…Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you about, Miss Eina.”
Now that Eina had calmed down considerably, Bell remembered the main reason why he’d come to the Guild today.
“It’s about Advanced Abilities…”
“Oh, I see. So you’re not officially Level Two yet, are you, Bell?”
Advanced Abilities worked together with Basic Abilities to increase an adventurer’s overall strength and power.
However, these abilities could only be acquired when a person with a Blessing from a god or goddess leveled up. They were different from Basic Abilities in that they were specialized to the profession of the user.
“In that case, it sounds like you have a few options to choose from.”
“Yes. I’ve already talked with my goddess, but I thought it would be a good idea to get your opinion as well, Miss Eina…”
Eina gave an affirmative nod of understanding.
The Advanced Abilities that a person could learn were based on the type of excelia they had collected up to that point. In a way, they had control over what kind of abilities appeared because of their Falna, their deity’s blessing.
Certain Advanced Abilities wouldn’t be available if the right type of excelia wasn’t present when an adventurer leveled up. At the same time, the blessed person would have a choice of abilities as long as they had the excelia for them. Only one Advanced Ability could be learned with each level-up, so these decisions opened some doors and closed others.
Such abilities appeared above an adventurer’s status when they leveled up, so Bell had yet to reach Level 2.
Bell’s leveling up had been postponed to allow some time for him to consider his options. He had fulfilled the requirements; all that was left to do was for Hestia to complete his new Status. Bell was in a kind of limbo.
“What abilities are there to choose from?” Eina asked.
“There are three of them. But there’s one that I don’t really understand…”
Eina nodded again a few times as she prepared to jot down Bell’s options on her notepad.
The first one was a very basic Advanced Ability that prevented the effects of monster poison and other ailments—an ability known as Immunity. It wasn’t the flashiest of abilities, but in a place as dangerous as the Dungeon, many adventurers considered it extremely valuable. Due to the large number of purple moths in the upper levels, many adventurers had inhaled their poison spores. So Immunity was a relatively easy Advanced Ability to acquire.
Next, there was the anti-monster ability called Hunter. Basic Abilities temporarily increased when fighting a type of monster with which that adventurer had experience. Since Hunter could only be learned at Level 2 and required an absurd amount of excelia from the same monsters, it was one of the more difficult ones to learn. Of course, it was a popular choice among adventurers but was also highly valued by the gods because of its rarity.
And then the third one…
“…Luck?”
“Yes…”
Eina’s pen stopped mid-writing, and she blinked.
Despite all of her experience and expertise in advising adventurers, she had never heard of this one.
The question was, exactly how would good luck take effect?
“Well, what did Goddess Hestia have to say about it?”
“She didn’t know much, either…”
Well, that makes sense, Eina said to herself.
Everything that was known about statuses had been discovered long ago, when the gods first came down to the lower world and verified it many times over.
Even the gods who granted a blessing had no way to know what abilities a particular child would learn. Except for in the very beginning, a Status was completely dependent on excelia. It showed the possibilities of the people of Earth. The gods became like parents, watching their children grow and change right before their eyes. This was why it was said that even the gods didn’t know what would happen in this world.
All the more reason for the gods and goddesses to be interested in a rare skill. The unknown made living in this realm interesting, and they couldn’t get enough of it.
So much for keeping a low profile, Eina thought somberly to herself.
An ability that had never been recorded in the Guild’s records—nor had she ever heard of it with her own ears.
In other words, it was an honest-to-goodness rare ability.
More than likely, Bell was the first adventurer in history to discover this Advanced Ability.
If his options had been just “Immunity” and “Hunter,” then she could have offered some advice. However, she could only guess at the meaning of something she’d never heard of before.
“Ah, but…” Bell suddenly remembered something and raised his voice as he wandered the forest of his own thoughts. “My goddess did say that she thought it would be something like…‘protection.’”
No matter who she was, a goddess’s insight was not to be ignored. If that’s what Hestia thought after seeing Bell’s new ability, then she was probably on the right track.
Protection…A force that moved to defend someone without their knowledge. It could be like a divine shield that looked after the user.
While that was just speculation, if any of it was true then it was more than enough reason to acquire this new ability.
“Hmm,” said Eina quietly as she gathered her thoughts. She decided that for the time being she wouldn’t file this information with the Guild. There was enough attention on Bell already.
“Well—that’s one possibility. But there are other areas where Luck would be useful for adventurers…like more drop items, maybe?”
“Ah, yes, that’s true.”
“But that sounds a little bit too money-related. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be of much assistance.”
“B-but—!”
Bell waved his hands in front of his chest, shaking his head no.
Feeling very apologetic that she couldn’t do more, Eina decided to ask about Hestia Familia’s opinion.
“What would you and Goddess Hestia like to do, Bell?”
“My goddess wanted me to learn Luck. She made a fist, kind of like this, and shouted, ‘You need this ability!’”
Sounds a bit risky, thought Eina as she raised an eyebrow at the young boy.
It was a bit late to be asking now, but she was getting very curious as to what exactly Bell had done to learn this new ability.
Meanwhile, Bell couldn’t understand why he was feeling overwhelmed by the look in Eina’s eyes.
“…What about you, Bell?”
“Hunter is cooler…I mean, no, but, it’s just, I can’t ignore it, and yeah…”
“Heh-heh. I understand what you’re getting at. And then?”
“Um, then again, just as my goddess said, I can’t just ignore Luck, either……”
Despite his indecisiveness, she had a pretty good idea of what Bell was thinking.
Hunter was indeed a very strong ability. Adventurers who faced the dangers of the Dungeon firsthand day in and day out would all most likely jump at the opportunity to acquire it.
The other option was Luck—a never-before-seen ability with unknown effects. But it was in human nature to react quickly to the words “rare ability,” especially if you were the only one who had it.
Considering that Immunity could be acquired the next time he leveled up, most likely Bell was leaning toward choosing Hunter.
Truth be told, he probably wanted both.
She could relate to Bell’s situation, his having to make a hard decision. Eina couldn’t help but grimace.
“I’ve often said this, but the one who has to make the final decision is you, Bell. So I don’t want to say anything that would make you lean one way or the other. Therefore, I’ll give you something else to think about beyond the choice itself.”
“S-sure.”
Eina waited for Bell to fix his posture before she continued.
“The simplest way is to think about what the differences between your goals might be.”
“My goals?”
“Yes. If you would like to powerfully and thoroughly work your way through the Dungeon, then Hunter will serve you very well, Bell. If you want to crawl the Dungeon with great efficiency, then I highly recommend it.”
Eina paused for a moment before looking directly into Bell’s ruby red eyes.
“But if your goal is something loftier—to get somewhere that is currently beyond your grasp…That path has nothing to do with mere ability. I believe that Luck might be a better ally when the time comes.”
“…”
“In which case, I think that you might indeed need Luck.”
The room was silent for a moment.
Bell took a deep breath before looking down at the palms of his hands.
As the boy flexed his fingers into a fist, Eina felt that he had reached a decision by the look in his eyes.
“There is no wrong decision here. So it needs to come from you, Bell. Whichever one you choose, it will come through for you when you need it.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Bell held his chin high, a look of determination on his face as he nodded to her one last time.
He might have reached Level 2, but he still had burning questions on his mind.
Eina looked at the boy who had just made his decision and decided it might be a good idea to look after him a while longer. A gentle smile rose to her lips.
“Goddess, I’m home—!”
I push open the door to my home, a hidden room under an old church.
The goddess lifts her face out of a book that she’s been reading on the sofa the moment I say hello, and smiles.
Tap tap tap—her feet smack the floor as she gets up and walks over to greet me.
“Welcome home, Bell. Well then, have you decided? What ability will it be?”
“Yes. I would like to learn Luck.”
Eina’s advice helped me make up my mind.
It’s not about now. I’ll take the future.
I don’t know for sure whether or not I’ll need this Luck ability, but Eina’s words really hit home. I believe them.
The goddess happily grins at me and lightly whispers, “All right.
“So, shall we? You’re still not leveled up.”
She walked all the way up to me just to say that? I’m pretty nervous but I nod in agreement.
The two of us go over to her bed and start preparing for my last Status update as a Level 1 adventurer.
“At long last you’re Level Two, Bell…is what I’d normally be saying, but in your case, it was so fast I didn’t have time to feel nostalgic.”
“R-really?”
“Yep. I remember it like it was yesterday—that time that you slew a goblin right after joining my Familia and came back all smiles. Kind of a strange feeling, actually.”
The goddess keeps on talking, going on and on the way she does. I can’t get a word in edgewise, except for the occasional “wow” and “yes.”
I’m becoming Level 2.
For some reason every little movement I make on the sheets is really noisy. It’s very comfortable, though. The thought of leveling up is making me a bit full of myself. I know many have done this before me, but still.
Other than that, nothing’s really going on in my head, and my body feels normal, too. Well, actually, everything from the neck down feels pretty warm, now that I think about it.
I’m not nervous or anxious; I’m just quietly waiting and listening to my heartbeat…Then suddenly the moment comes.
The goddess’s fingers stop moving.
“!”
“…It’s done.”
I sit up as soon as I feel her get off my lower back.
Sitting on my heels in the middle of the bed, I take a look at my hands.
I can feel the goddess’s eyes on me from my side, watching as I open and close my fists.
“…I don’t feel all that different.”
“What were you expecting? The sudden urge to yell, ‘The power flows within me…!’ up at the sky?” The goddess acts out the scene in front of me, skillfully pretending to shake with newfound energy before giggling.
It might be a little rude of me to say my true feelings, so I just nod.
I leveled up, but I’m still the same.
I thought my body would be lighter. I thought I’d feel like the world was different. Or something like that. But there is nothing. I feel no different than I did the moment I got home a few minutes ago. Where’s the feeling of accomplishment that comes with leveling up to Level 2?
This is really disappointing…Like all the wind in my sails just disappeared.
“It’s not like the structure of your body changes, you know? Sorry if I made you think you’d have some kind of dramatic transformation.”
“Ah, no, it’s not that…”
“Ha-ha, but your Status improvement is the real deal, you know. The ‘container,’ your spirit, has gotten much bigger. It’s very obvious to me and any other gods. You might not realize it now, but the next time you’re in battle, it’ll feel like you flipped a switch. You’ll pull off attacks that you never knew you could.”
The goddess laughs to herself again as she starts writing my new Status in Koine, the common language of humans and demi-humans.
I know that when an adventurer levels up, all of their Basic Abilities return to zero. I’ve heard that those points don’t just disappear, but instead are hidden in the new Status as “extra points.” What was it the goddess had called it—a “hidden parameter”?
Since I know that it will be all zeros on my new Status, there isn’t really any point in looking at the sheets the goddess is holding right now…But what’s the harm in checking?
I tilt my head to the side a little as I get up from the bed. My usual undershirt was torn to shreds in the battle against the Minotaur, so I grab a spare and put my arms through the sleeves.
My eyes meet the goddess’s gaze the moment my head pops out of the collar of the shirt, and she hands me the paper.
“It was going to be a surprise, but I think I should tell you first.”
“?”
The goddess beams with happiness as I take it from her.
I don’t even have a chance to glance at it before she says, “Good news, Bell.” I’m about to ask her what it is, but she’s faster. “A Skill.”
“Huh?”
“It’s your sec—No!…I mean, um, you know. It’s what you’ve always wanted: your own Skill!”
Several moments pass in silence.
Her words sit in my mind for a few seconds before everything suddenly clicks and my eyes race to the paper clutched in my hand.
I can feel the pupils of my bloodshot eyes pounding as I will them to focus on her handwriting.
Then,
Bell Cranell
Level 2
Strength: I 0 Defense: I 0 Utility: I 0 Agility: I 0 Magic: I 0
Luck: I
Magic:
“Firebolt”
• Swift-Strike Magic
Skill:
“Heroic Desire, Argonaut”
• Executes automatically with an active action
My eyes have never been this wide.
There’s something in my Skill slot.
My head snaps up. The tiny goddess, much older than I am, is looking up at me with a gaze of approval. She silently mouths, “That’s right.”
My cheeks pull back into a smile all on their own. Happiness floods through me. This is definitely the highlight of my day!
The muscles in my face are refusing to relax. Even I can tell my eyes are shining as I take another look at the paper in my hands. That’s when I notice something.
…“Heroic Desire”?
All of the joy in my body suddenly evaporates, my eyes stuck to that one spot of my Status.
That seems rather exaggerated for a description…Every corner of my brain has cooled off and is now sending up red flags.
…Wait a second.
My lips go numb. My smile disappears.
I’ve heard that the Skills and Magic in an adventurer’s Status are not only affected by excelia but by the blessed person’s personality and aspirations as well.
Even the name of the Skill…So an adventurer’s Status is like a reflection of their soul?
And now the phrase “Heroic Desire” is literally carved into my back…That means the cat’s out of the bag that, even at my age, I want to be a hero…
Creeeeeaaaak. My head rises from the sheet of paper with about the same efficiency as a rusty door, my ears burning red.
And standing directly in front of me, the goddess with her warm gaze and perky smile—
“—Guh, DAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!”
I scream at the top of my lungs as the goddess looks at me like she could burst out laughing at any moment.
Throwing the piece of paper into the air, I spin around and collapse into the fetal position on the floor, hands covering my ears.
No, no no no—!
She knows! The goddess knows that even now I want to become a hero like the ones in the picture books! She knows!!!
This is pure agony. I feel just as ashamed and embarrassed as all the times I messed up in front of Aiz. I’m sure my face is just as red. My soul is on fire, cooking me from the inside out.
I’m dying! Something please put me out of my misery!
“Bell.”
Zing! Her voice shoots through me like a firecracker, my body shaking.
But her voice is gentle. I can feel her soft fingers on my shoulder.
She’s right behind me; I should at least look up at her. Trying to blink the tears out of my eyes, I turn to face her, fearing the worst.
She’s wearing a very bright and loving smile.
“—That’s so cute!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!”
Why, Goddess, why—?!
“Uoohhh…”
“Hey, how long do you plan on sitting there?”
I’m still in the corner of the room, hugging my knees to my chest.
Falling from heaven all the way into hell leaves a pretty deep wound. The scar’ll probably stay on my heart forever.
I hear the goddess’s voice behind me as hot tears roll down my cheeks.
“Oh, get up, already. What’s the problem with you idolizing heroes anyway? Do you know how many children can stay that pure in this day and age?”
“I can see you biting your lip, trying not to laugh, Goddess!!”
The way she said “children” as well—so patronizing!
The echoes of my half scream bounce around the room. I’m really upset here.
The goddess grins and leans down over me, smiling, and says, “I apologize if you’re hurt.” I’m being comforted by a goddess who looks like a child. Good thing no one else is here because this would be the most pathetic sight ever. Just imagining it makes me feel even worse.
“Feeling any better?”
“I’ll get there…”
I force my knees to straighten and stand up. I’m not feeling any better, but she’ll never understand, so what’s the point?
Flexing the muscles in my neck to keep my head up, I lean down to pick up the sheet with my Status off the floor and have another look.
Argonaut…That’s its name, but I don’t know anything else about this Skill…There’s nothing written here to go on. There’s barely any information at all.
It was the same with Firebolt, too. Why is it that whenever I learn something new, there’s never enough explanation on how to use it? I don’t have a clue what this thing does…
“Goddess, do you know what this Skill’s effect is?”
“Hmm, it’s a bit hard to explain. It’s not one that’s constantly turned on…instead, it’s an Active Action, so basically when you choose to make a move, it will have some kind of effect.”
“Choose to make a move…?”
“You know, like attacking or defending yourself.” She adds, “But in that case, I don’t think it will do anything for counterattacks.”
Huh? I kind of get it, but I kind of don’t…
It’s no use. I’m not smart enough to work this out on my own.
“So, in the end you’ll just have to try and figure it out in battle. That’s a little bit of a vague way to put it, though.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my Skill, anyway…”
After all that, it looks like I’ll just have to wait and see.
Feeling a little bit put out, I take another look at the paper.
I don’t know very much about the Skill itself, but the name Argonaut…I know a lot about that. Well, maybe I should say that I remember a lot about it.
“Argonaut.”
It’s a story about a hapless young man who ventures out to rescue a beautiful queen from a ferocious bull monster.
The main character gets fooled by many people, and he doesn’t have a clue. He just ventures forward like an idiot and by some miracle manages to arrive at the feet of the monster he’s seeking. If I remember right, the queen he’s trying to rescue saves him from the monster in the end.
Out of all the heroes and the stories I’ve read, he stands out as the least heroic.
It was probably based off a play, but I distinctly remember reading the picture book and raising an eyebrow. He wasn’t cool at all…Could there be a hero who dreams about being a hero?
But Gramps, he loved the story. He’d say things like, “This guy’s best days are ahead of ’im,” and stuff like that. All I can remember thinking was the story’s over.
To think I’d run into something as random as that from my childhood at a time like this…It’s all so confusing.
“Sorry, Bell. It’s time for me to leave now.”
“Eh? You’re working today, Goddess?”
The goddess’s voice brought me out of my memory pool in time to let me know she was leaving the room.
I was sure she had today off, so I ask her about it.
“Well, you see, today is a Denatus—a meeting of the gods that happens once every three months.”
“Denatus…Isn’t that…?”
“Yep, that’s right. It’s a get-together for the gods with nothing to do…We choose titles for adventurers who level up.”
Titles. The word makes my shoulders tense up.
It’s just like Aiz’s second name, “Kenki.” It was chosen for her by the gods.
Which means there had to have been some kind of discussion when her nickname was decided. That had to be the Denatus.
If the goddess is going to some kind of gathering like that…
“Since you leveled up to Level Two, Bell, I’m allowed to attend. More than likely we’ll decide your second name.”
I knew it!
That’s just what I was hoping she’d say. I don’t know how many times I’ve been excited today, but this takes the cake!
“W-w-well, well then, me, too? I’m going to receive a name like Aiz?!”
“…Enthusiastic, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am!”
A title is like an adventurer’s banner!
Only adventurers who level up get one; it’s proof that the gods have recognized your abilities! There’s no doubt in my mind it’s a great honor!
And then there’s…!
“All of the titles that the gods and goddesses come up with are so cool and refined! Nicknames like ‘Fallen Seraph of Black Flame, Dark Angel’ are so awesome that they even sound strong!”
“…Oh, that’s what you mean.”
Despite my passionate ramblings, the look in the goddess’s eyes becomes distant, a weak smile on her lips.
To put it simply, it’s a very sad smile. She looks far away.
Wh-what?
What happened to that warm gaze she had just a moment ago…?
“That’s right. It’s still too early for the children here…”
“Um…wh-what do you mean by that…?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m sure the day will come when you’ll all understand, Bell.”
The meaningful words hang in the air as the goddess falls silent and makes her way toward the door.
So many questions spring into my mind that my face starts contorting into different questioning looks.
Is the Denatus…something completely different from what I thought it was?
I’ve heard that it’s a meeting where divine wills clash in a solomn atmosphere, but…?
“Well, I’ll be back later.”
“O-okay.”
The goddess is standing in front of the door, waving.
She looks like a soldier preparing for death, and I can’t help but stutter.
She looks at me again as the muscles in her face suddenly tense. She opens her mouth to speak.
“I don’t care what I have to do; I swear I will win an acceptable title for you, Bell…!”
For you…! Her words ring in my ears.
Creak—She closes the door behind her.
I couldn’t tell if she was motivated or desperate, but that wasn’t the goddess I know. My body breaks out in a cold sweat as her footsteps disappear up the stairwell.
The Denatus was originally a meeting of retired gods and goddesses that was held because they had too much free time.
Their Familias had built up a certain level of power and influence, and these deities wanted to forget the stresses of work and enjoy full-time relaxation. Since they had nothing to do, they decided it would be fun to gather others like themselves and talk about trivial matters to kill time.
While it was nothing but a small party, the important thing was that all of these extravagant gods and goddesses needed a place to meet. And one was soon established.
As years passed and the number of participants grew, the purpose of these meetings started to change. The pointless conversation became a way to share the latest news. It didn’t just stop with exchanging information among Familias, and once the Guild became involved, the Denatus became a meeting that had far-reaching effects all over Orario.
While the meeting was known by name only, the gods and goddesses who participated in a Denatus became more powerful, their voices directly affecting adventurers.
The naming process was one such influence and had become a customary event.
“Looks like many children leveled up this time.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard it was a great harvest. This is gonna be fun.”
The meeting place for Denatus was on the thirtieth floor of the skyscraper in the middle of the city—Babel Tower.
The entire space had been completely remodeled, with only the pillars supporting the high ceiling remaining from its original design. A large, round table sat in the middle of the room surrounded by a ring of chairs. The rest of the floor was completely empty. The outer walls had been replaced with glass, encasing their meeting within the clouds above the city.
Due to the extremely high ceiling, it looked almost as if the gods met in a temple floating in the sky.
“More of us here than usual this time.”
“Heh-heh, quite a few have stopped showing up as well.”
As the last of the deities made their way toward the table, it didn’t take them long to realize that more than thirty gods and goddesses were in attendance. Each one of them had at least one advanced adventurer—Level 2 or above—in their Familia, meaning there were just as many influential Familias inside Orario.
There were many faces around the table. One god wore a blank expression, unable to hide his nervousness. Another mysterious one wore a large elephant mask. A blond goddess laughed with those around her, her eyes closed with glee.
Completely different from a Celebration, there was no dress code. Hestia made her way through the colorful ensemble to the seat that had been prepared for her.
“You seem rather calm.”
“I’ve got nothing to be nervous about, do I?” Hestia quickly answered the question as the crimson-haired, crimson-eyed goddess Hephaistos gazed at her.
The refined goddess wore a thin black blouse, her sparkling crimson hair flowing down her back. With her clothes that would be more fitting for a man, male and female deities alike were drawn in by her charm.
She looked over at Hestia, a patch covering her right eye, and slowly shrugged her shoulders. “I thought you’d be a little more anxious. You know, scrunching up your face like you always do.”
“…If something’s going to change I’ll make plenty of noise. But all that does is just provide entertainment for everyone else, right?”
“You’re not wrong…”
Hephaistos could feel Hestia grimacing as deity after deity came up to her to squeeze and pinch her puffy cheeks. Hers was a new face, and many of the gods and goddesses around her were drawn to her side like moths to a flame. They didn’t bother to hide their intentions.
They would do the same even if it weren’t Hestia. Their way of thinking was obvious.
They were congratulating her, in their own way. It was almost a miracle that her extremely small Familia’s status had gone up.
“I’m going to say this now: Don’t expect any help from me. With this many of us here, my voice is but one among many.”
“Yes, I know.” Hestia fidgeted a little bit in her chair after Hephaistos’s warning.
“Let’s get the ball rollin’!” came a voice from across the table.
All conversations came to a sudden halt. The owner of the voice got up, her vermilion-colored hair swishing as she stood.
“’Bout time we started up the one thousandth Denatus. Today’s hostess is none other than yours truly, Loki! Nice ta see ya!”
A chorus of whistles and thunderous applause erupted throughout the room.
Loki, her light red hair tied into a short ponytail, smiled with narrowed eyes as she waved her hands to settle everyone down.
Meanwhile, Hestia looked at her from her seat on the opposite side of the table and muttered with the utmost dissatisfaction, “Why does Loki get to run the show?”
“She wanted to. Most of her Familia is out on an expedition and her home is almost empty. Basically, she was bored.”
“Ohhhh, she has time to be bored…”
Hestia was not particularly fond of Loki, and her disdain came out in her voice.
Whether she heard Hestia’s angry mumbling or not, Loki cast her squinty gaze over in Hestia’s direction but decided to ignore the young goddess and continue with her duties.
Hestia was surprised by this turn of events. Normally, Loki would’ve charged headlong straight for her.
“Alrighty, let’s get to it. First off, any news that needs hearin’? You got something interestin’ ta say, speak up!”
“Oh, me, me! Poor little Soma got a warning from the Guild. He had to give up his one and only hobby!”
“Whad’ya say—?!”
“Eh, what was Soma’s hobby anyway?”
“Not a clue.”
“Ah—probably the work of little Miss Eina…”
“To think we’d be talking about that loner Soma!”
“What happened next? Tell me, tell me!!”
“Apparently he won’t come out of his room. He’s just sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth.”
“I wanna seeeeeeeeee!!”
“I’m going to go cheer him up!”
“Hey!”
“You’re just going to rub salt on his wounds, aren’t you?”
“My apologies. Sorry to change the topic so suddenly, but there is an urgent matter we need to discuss. There is information that the Kingdom of Rakia is preparing to invade Orario.”
“Very sudden, indeed.”
“Don’t tell me it’s that Ares guy again.”
“Isn’t it about time we do something about that idiot? He’s getting to be a real pain in the ass, seriously.”
“Why is Ares worshipped so much in that country, anyway?”
“Maybe it’s because he’s got a personality that’s hard to hate? The children love that kind of thing.”
“It has to be his amazing good looks. His visage is almost on par with the goddess of beauty. I’m in the Freya camp, though.”
“Got muscles for brains, too.”
The table erupted with conversation ranging from pointless joking to absolute seriousness, and back again two or three times.
Each of the gods continued to say their own opinions, the atmosphere relaxed and unhurried.
While she had an idea this was what went on, actually seeing this chaos with her own eyes was frustrating for Hestia.
It looked nearly impossible to regain any kind of control, but—“Y’all pipe down, now!” Loki’s voice suddenly rose above the din. With a reaction speed that Hestia could barely comprehend, all the deities went silent.
“All right, then. Here’s what we got. Need ta keep our eyes on Rakia, inform the Guild. Then again, knowin’ old man Uranus, he’ll figure it out himself. For everybody else, give yer Familias a heads-up. That clear ta y’all?”
“Understood.”
Loki sorted through all of the information and summarized the important points. Since the gods and goddesses from all of the most influential Familias in Orario were in attendance, making sure that all of them heard the most important information was part of her job.
Loki then went around the table, asking for any other news that needed to be shared. As soon as her questions fell on deaf ears…she clapped once, her face scrunched into a catlike grin.
“Time ta proceed ta the Namin’ Ceremony.”
The room was suddenly tense.
The moment that Loki uttered those words, many of the gods who had up until that point been very vocal in the discussion froze, their faces one shade paler. Hestia was among their ranks.
As for the others, they drooled in anticipation.
They were used to how these Denatus meetings were run, and their favorite part was coming up. Several of their faces looked broken as ugly smiles burst forth from their lips.
Their party, and the others’ tragedy, was about to begin.
“Everybody’s got the handouts, yeah? Then let’s raise the curtain! Today’s top batter is…Seto’s boy, an adventurer named Ceti!”
“P-please, please go easy on him…?!”
“““““““““DENIED””””””””””””
“Noooooooooooooo!”
The sensibility of the gods, as with the people below, had changed to match the culture on Earth. Both were very similar up to a point. Being from Deusdia, it was common knowledge to Hestia that the gods and goddesses possessed senses that transcended human comprehension. However, that was not necessarily so, and there were many similarities between the ways gods and the people of Earth thought.
However.
The deities had a completely different sense of what made a good name when it came to bestowing titles.
Were the gods strange, or were the children foolish?
Were the gods too radical or were the children too old-fashioned in their respective ways of thinking?
While the truth had yet to be determined, the fact was that many names that made the children’s eyes light up with pride made their gods’ heads droop in shame.
“—That’s final. The adventurer Ceti Selty shall be known as a dragon knight of the dawn: ‘Burning Fighting Fighter’!”
“Whhhyyyyyyyy?!”
Another “regrettable name” had just been created.
The deities with less-than-generous personalities loved to watch others squirm as their favorite children were, one by one, given these regrettable names. The children who received them, however, would be in awe of the images that these nicknames produced.
The deities would first enjoy watching other gods and goddesses go mad with embarrassment, with their second course being watching the children’s reactions to their uncouth nicknames. Today was a great day because they would spend most of it rolling on the floor with laughter. The best part was many of these names would live on in the children’s legends.
“This is too cruel…”
“I understand all too well…”
Hestia’s scared voice squeaked out of her throat. “I was the same at first,” said Hephaistos with a slow nod. Her crimson left eye was looking off into the distance.
Deities attending Denatus for the first time, especially the Naming Ceremony, were treated with the utmost cruelty.
Sharing useful information might have been the main purpose of the day’s meeting, but the hazing of newcomers had now begun. Hestia’s face turned sour as she watched some gods scream out in despair while others laughed, clutching their ribs. The disparity between the two groups was sickening.
“Okay, next up. Takemikazuchi’s…ohh, quite the cutie, this gal. Hmm, she’s from one of those Far East places, so her name’s backward…Little Miss Yamato Mikoto!”
Loki took another look at the Guild’s paperwork in her hands, scanning it with her eyes.
It included the profiles of every adventurer to be named, as well as a sketch of that person’s face drawn at the time they registered with the Guild. The sound of paper suddenly fluttered around the table before a chorus of “Ohh?” rose from their collective mouths.
“Look at this one…Pretty damn good.”
“Black hair is so nice—”
“Hmmm, and she’s just a little kid, we can’t really…”
“Oh yeah, just thinking about doing something to a girl of this tender age…makes me really excited! Just kidding, it’d weigh on my conscience.”
“A-are you serious?!”
There were two ways for a god at Denatus to avoid the drama of the second name.
The first way involved paying off some of the more influential gods and goddesses before the meeting even started. However, this was nearly impossible for most of the lower Familias.
Therefore, in these cases the influential gods and goddesses would look at the person in question and find a characteristic that they liked, as was taking place right now. Girls tended to get better names with this method than boys.
Like a sunbeam piercing through storm clouds, the male gods in the room quickly focused on the girl’s hair color. Takemikazuchi couldn’t sit still, and he jumped to his feet.
“Takemikazuchi, you’re hopeless, you bastard!”
“Natural-born gigolo, that’s what you are…”
“A goddess, a child, doesn’t matter to you, does it? You pull them into your scheme just the same…”
“You got a Lolita complex or something?!”
“Wh-what the hell are you talking about?!”
“Poor Mikoto—her, too…”
“If the thoughts don’t get through, then how about something a little more physical…Ha-hee-hee.”
“Damn you all…!”
There was nothing more whimsical and unpredictable than a god.
Takemikazuchi gritted his teeth. His frustration with the other deities had gotten to him.
“I shall be the one to deliver a requiem for Miss Mikoto! Future of the Milky Way—‘Fortune Galaxy’!”
“Dear Mikoto, you were such a good girl, but your god is just hopeless. You’re a fallen saint—‘Last Heroine.’”
“Enough! Stop this at once! I’ve done my absolute best to raise up and guide my little angel!”
“‘Little Angel,’ then!”
““““That’s it!””””
“Please…have mercy…”
This was what the gods came to Denatus to see.
Hestia and Hephaistos also tried to give a few suggestions, but they were completely ignored.
“This gal Mikoto’s nickname is… ‘Eternal † Shadow.’ That sittin’ well with everybody?”
“No objections.”
“Uwahhh, gggaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”
Hestia felt sorry for her friend as he threw his head back, hands over his ears, and wailed at the top of his lungs in humiliation. She swore to herself that she would take him out for a stiff drink that night.
Even after Takemikazuchi, a god of military arts, stopped crying tears of blood, the victims of the Naming Ceremony kept piling up.
The pandemonium continued until all of the adventurers from lower and middle class Familias had been given a title. Now it was time for the cream of the crop.
Adventurers from Hephaistos Familia, Ganesha Familia, and Ishtar Familia were on the list to be named.
“…Freya! Not a single one from your house has leveled up. So you came here for leisure only? Why is it that the Almighty Freya would even bother showing her face in a place like this?”
“Why, yes. Even in Tenkai, retirement is the poison that will kill us all. I was just out for a little stroll, Ishtar.”
Any deity who received an invitation to Denatus had the right to participate in any meeting from then on.
If no one in their Familia had leveled up, then there was almost no point in their attendance other than for the entertainment. A good example would be the many gods and goddesses who took the lead in suggesting second names during the ceremony.
Despite Ishtar’s poorly disguised mockery, Freya brushed off her fellow goddess of beauty’s words with a cold smile.
“Oh, is that right? And speaking of time to burn, one of your house seems to have that as well. Just roaming around the middle levels, dueling Minotaur after Minotaur for fun, yes? The apple never falls far from the tree, now does it?”
“Hee-hee, you may be right.”
“Ah, yes. While we’re on the subject, I heard about a Minotaur that came into the upper levels…Could this have something to do with your house, Freya? If by chance it does, what will the Guild have to say about it?”
“Why don’t you ask, Ishtar? I’ve heard that while my child was playing with those Minotaurs, he was attacked by a group of Amazons wearing masks…Don’t you find that a little rude? I’d like to have a word with their mother…”
“…!”
Ishtar’s face contorted, the brown skin under her very revealing outfit tensing up all over her body. On the other hand, Freya laughed quietly to herself and closed her eyes to signal the end of their conversation.
The truth behind the Minotaur incident that was making waves in the adventure community was still shrouded in mystery. All of the gods in this room were aware of that.
The other gods at the table watched the two goddesses of beauty trade verbal jabs while giggling to themselves.
“Amazons. Does that mean Ishtar is trying to butt into Freya’s affairs?”
“Well, could be. It’s not like this is the first time. Ishtar has always considered Freya to be her rival.”
“Even so, Freya is just toying with her…Seems like arguing which one of the two is the most beautiful would be a very fruitless discussion.”
“Don’t say that to Ishtar’s face.”
Hestia and Hephaistos whispered quietly to each other, but the young goddess’s eyes were locked firmly on Freya.
Since Bell had become directly involved in the Minotaur incident, this wasn’t just someone else’s problem…However, while she couldn’t just take Freya’s and Ishtar’s words at face value, she wasn’t in a position to press them for answers, either. She didn’t want to make any false accusations.
Despite her mind firing on all cylinders, Hestia decided to stop trying to figure out the meaning of Freya’s words. She did not, however, take her eyes off the silver-haired goddess for a moment.
“Alrighty, then, enough chitchat. Time to pick back up again. Next on the list is…nu-hee-hee, the hometown hero, my Aiz!”
“The Kenki’s back again!!”
“The princess is just as beautiful as ever.”
“You mean she’s Level Six now…?”
The Naming Ceremony had been in danger of breaking down, but a big name like Aiz Wallenstein’s was just what they needed to get back on track.
Each of the deities flipped through their paperwork to find an extremely detailed picture of a young girl staring back up at them with eyes like a doll.
Every time someone leveled up, they received a chance to correct their second name. Even if their first title was rather strange, as long as they leveled up again it could be fixed at the next Denatus Naming Ceremony.
“Don’t you think that Aiz’s name is good enough as it is?”
“Agreed.”
“It could be changed to something like holy sword—‘Kensei’?”
“Hunh?”
“Aiz’s image is completely different, don’cha think?”
“Well, the be-all and end-all would be Daughter of the Gods—‘Our Lady.’”
“““““Agreed!””””””
“I’ll end y’all.”
““““““Our apologies!!””””””
Another way to avoid an embarrassing second name was for the god or goddess to bring up how powerful their Familia was within Orario.
In short, they had to make the others think that picking a fight would be a very bad idea.
None of the gods were foolish enough to get carried away when they knew the wrath of Loki was waiting for them.
Every single one of the deities who had gotten caught up in the moment slammed their heads to the table in a deep bow in Loki’s direction, in order to escape her glare of death.
“Seriously, ya gotta know who yer dealin’ with. Anyhoo, next…Hmm, last one, yeah?”
Hestia suddenly went tense, gulping down her last breath.
There was only one last page left in the prepared handouts. The level-up had occurred just before Denatus was scheduled to take place, so only the most basic of basic information had been prepared in time.
It was for an adventurer who belonged to Hestia Familia, who had been completely unknown until recently.
Bell.
“So that child really did become Level Two…”
Hephaistos whispered quietly to herself as she looked at the Guild’s seal of approval on the paperwork clutched in her hands.
Her friend’s words barely making it into her ears, Hestia looked around the table.
There were many smiles. However, they were the dirty, drooling smiles of people who had just eaten a full-course meal and were about to get their dessert.
Her moment of truth had arrived.
She had said all those things to Bell before leaving but had failed to prepare a strategy, thinking that everything would work out by believing in the power of their love and courage…!
—Right after that.
Loki quietly got to her feet.
“…Loki?”
“Before we get to namin’, there’s somethin’ I’d like ta know, Shorty.”
No one objected, as the normally squinting Loki opened her eyes wide enough to let everyone know she had a bone to pick.
“He did that much with our blessin’ in a month an’ a half—you expectin’ me ta believe that?”
WHAM!
Loki slammed the palm of her hand onto her own paperwork on top of Bell’s face, glaring daggers in Hestia’s direction.
“It took my Aiz a year to level-up fer the first time—a whole year! And this boy does it in a month an’ a half?! What’re ya tryin’ to pull?”
It was eight years ago.
A relatively clueless eight-year-old had become the fastest adventurer on record to reach Level 2. Not only that, she was human—a race that was physically and mentally weaker than many of its counterparts.
News that such a person had set a record like that had spread throughout Orario and the world like wildfire.
“It’s not like a blessin’ is anythin’ special. A child that levels up that fast ain’t natural. There ain’t no shortcut, all of them bust their tails workin’ hard ta level up.”
Loki went on to say that Falna, the power of a blessing, was not instant.
A Status only gave the children a chance. Falna manifested itself differently in each person, based completely on their own experiences and desires.
Abilities, Skills, Magic. All of them developed based on Characteristics lurking within an individual. Even those characteristics were built up from a personal history—and the excelia gained from those experiences warped the power of a blessing, or degenerated it, into its new shape. It was similar to how the size and shape of a flower growing out of the ground can differ depending on its environment during development.
Therefore, it was a stimulant.
Falna was completely unaffected by outside forces. To be completely blunt, it was the ultimate key to unlocking inner potential.
“So, spill it, Shorty.”
“…”
Hestia could have sworn Loki was breathing fire; the black-haired goddess was drenched in sweat.
This is bad, very, very bad.
The moment that the other gods and goddesses learned of Bell’s Skill, “Realis Phrase,” this place would become an absolute zoo. She hadn’t told Bell about his own Skill for this very reason; she knew exactly how the others would react—. Add to it the fact that he just set a new record for the fastest level-up, and every god in this room would swarm him.
She had to fulfill her duty to protect the boy. However, in order to do that she would have to imply that Bell was special without outright saying it. Her best option was to give Loki a believable explanation, but there was no way she could come up with something good enough to satisfy her on the spot.
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Swinging her arms as if she were trying to swim through the air, Hestia’s mind raced to come up with anything believable.
“So ya can’t say? Ya wouldn’t happen ta be usin’ yer divine power, now would ya?”
“O-of course I’m not!”
“Okay then, out with it. If yer conscience is clean, this should be easy as pie.”
“Ah…”
Loki had accused Hestia of using Arcanum, divine power, to accelerate Bell’s growth. A near-panicked Hestia couldn’t string enough words together to defend herself.
Hephaistos sat next to her friend with a very troubled look on her face. Her mouth was open, as if she were about to speak but couldn’t figure out what to say.
Every set of eyes around the table was now trained on Hestia. Extremely interested in what was going on, all of the gods and goddesses leaned in to catch every single word. Hestia felt as though the room were closing in on her. She had never sweated this much in her life.
I’m finished, said a little voice in her head as she gave up hope. Just then.
“My my, what’s the big deal?”
A beautiful soprano voice echoed throughout the room.
“…Huh?”
“Whassat?”
All eyes left Hestia in an instant and instead went to the owner of the voice.
Freya was leaning back in her chair, an aloof expression on her face.
“As long as Hestia hasn’t violated our laws, then there’s no need for her to explain herself, yes? It is, after all, taboo to reveal the inner workings of any Familia. That includes the Statuses and Abilities of any members.”
Looking at a lock of her hair, she pulled it back behind her ear. Freya appeared disinterested, as if she were only talking common sense. But it stopped Loki in her tracks.
“…But one month? Can’t ya wrap yer mind around that, ya airheaded vixen?”
“Hee-hee, why does this bother you so much, Loki? Your attitude seems rather strange to me…Is this jealousy, perhaps? Is it because Hestia’s boy broke your favorite little girl’s record?”
“Like I care,” Loki retorted with a sneer.
“I wonder,” Freya responded with her ever-present smile.
Loki’s pretty face contorted in rage as she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Just as Loki had done to Hestia moments ago, Freya had twisted Loki’s words into a corner from which she couldn’t escape. The look on Loki’s face made it all worth it for Freya as she smiled smugly in her chair.
Tsk! Loki clucked her tongue in Freya’s direction, looking at her with the utmost fury.
“Of course it’s difficult to believe my ears when I hear those numbers…But this boy, by some miracle, managed to defeat a Minotaur despite his low level.”
“…”
“If I had to wager a guess, then I would say this Minotaur is the reason. If, perhaps, defeating a Minotaur meant something special to him, then the excelia he gained could also have had more influence than usual…That’s what I think.”
Every one of Freya’s words sent ripples through the meeting room.
Each deity looked down at the paperwork in front of them and under the “personal history” column, only to find that this was, in fact, the second time the adventurer Bell Cranell had encountered a Minotaur. But he had defeated only one of them. One by one, the gods and goddesses around the table started murmuring in agreement with Freya’s opinion. Even Loki couldn’t deny that it made sense, but she wasn’t too happy about it.
It had been nearly a thousand years since the deities had come down from the heavens and begun bestowing blessings on the children.
None of them could hope to predict what possibilities were hidden within each of the people of the world below. Even strange occurrences like this happened every now and again—all Freya did was point it out.
She let a moment of silence fill the room.
Then she went on to say that while she was extremely interested, there was no reason to force an answer for Bell Cranell’s unusual development speed. Soon other gods around the table were saying that it would be against the rules to do so.
Freya quietly smiled again and gracefully looked over at Hestia.
It took her a moment to notice Freya’s silver gaze. All Hestia could do, however, was blink, her body still in a state of shock.
An instant later, Freya stood up from her chair.
“Oh, are ya leavin’, Freya?”
“Yes. I have something urgent to attend to, so I shall excuse myself now.”
“Since you’re here, why don’t ya leave after we’ve given Loli Big Boobs’s child a name? It’s the last one, anyway.”
“Hee-hee, I apologize, but I can’t. Still…” Freya reached down to the table and picked up her copy of the paperwork. She took a look at Bell’s face and said, “Just be sure to name him something cute.”
“““““““OKAY!!”””””””
All of the gods around the table suddenly looked refreshed as Freya flashed her biggest smile of the day at each of them in turn. The goddesses, however, glared at their male counterparts, as if they were looking at rotten garbage.
Freya turned her back to the table and started to walk toward the door, sending one last grin over her shoulder.
“Well, shall we get down to business and choose a title for this boy?”
“Sounds good.”
“But this human…I haven’t heard anything about him.”
“It’s the ones you overlook who surprise you.”
“There are no rumors about him at all.”
The suddenly serious gods began discussing the boy immediately.
Hestia had finally recovered from the abrupt changes of mood during the Denatus and looked up at Hephaistos sitting next to her. Her eyes asked exactly what she wanted to know: “What happened?”
The crimson-haired goddess shrugged her shoulders, a look of frustration on her face as she responded. “I don’t have a clue.”
“There’s not enough information here. Nothing to go on. The Guild was really lazy with this one.”
“He leveled up just two days before the Denatus, so they had to squeeze him in. Can’t be helped.”
“Let’s see…White hair with red eyes…A rabbit…How about ‘The Good Rabbit, Pyonkichi’?”
“No, that name is already used. A smith named Wel-something used it for a piece of armor already.”
“Thought of it before us…!!”
“Wel-something…Just what is he?”
“Hmmm, Ganesha, do you have any thoughts?”
“……I am Ganesha!”
“Yes, yes, Ganesha, Ganesha.”
“As we try to find a more suitable name, nothing really jumps out at me!”
The discussion continued with the male gods taking center stage in a somewhat unproductive conversation.
Hestia tilted her head in relief that the greatest danger seemed to be behind her.
A heartbeat later, a shadow fell over her body.
“…Loki?”
“…”
Loki was standing beside her. She had left her seat on the other side of the table and was now staring directly down at Hestia.
There was no doubt she was in a bad mood, but she forced her mouth open and said:
“…Watch yer back, Shorty.”
“Huh?”
“Keep yer eyes open, is what I’m sayin’. As much as it pains me ta warn ya like this…I can’t stand watchin’ that idiot do as she pleases. Gotta stop it now.
“She’s underestimatin’ me,” said Loki with an annoyed sneer.
Loki jerked her head toward the door to grab Hestia’s attention. Looking in that direction, she saw the last of Freya’s silver hair flow out of sight.
“W-wait a second, here! What do you mean by ‘warn me’?”
Unable to understand Loki’s words, Hestia asked for clarification. Loki’s eyebrows twitched in frustration before she took another step toward the young goddess.
“Are ya that thick?” asked Loki as she leaned down to Hestia’s eye level, their noses almost close enough to touch.
“Idiot! Wake up, willya? She just covered fer yer boy.”
“…?”
Still unable to connect the dots, Hestia could only look back at Loki with dumbfounded eyes.
Loki stood back up, sighing through her nose. She’d had enough.
“Woah, y’really don’t know. Ah well, not my problem anyway. Such an idiot,” Loki said under her breath on her way back to her seat.
Under Hephaistos’s watchful gaze, Hestia’s eyes followed Loki as she went around the table. Then she looked over toward the door that Freya had just exited.
She mulled over Loki’s words.
And then she remembered the look that the goddess of beauty had sent right at her.
…Freya…protected him?
The moment she realized the possibility of a certain scenario, the table of gods and goddesses around her erupted as one.
““““““““““““IT’S DECIDED!!””””””””””””
The atmosphere wasn’t exactly bizarre, but it definitely wasn’t normal.
An air of tension had descended upon one of the largest rooms in the Guild Headquarters.
“Why does everyone look like they’re going to kill something?”
“I don’t think that’s what’s going on…”
Misha whispered into a pointed ear. Eina responded quietly under her breath.
The two of them had left their usual workplace in the lobby and gone upstairs to the second-floor office room.
An intense stillness had taken over a space that was normally in constant motion.
“Tulle, are you listening?”
“Ah…m-my apologies, sir.”
A voice from directly in front of her yanked Eina out of her thoughts. Misha snapped to attention beside her.
There was a male animal person sitting in a chair in front of the two girls, holding in his right hand a document that Eina had recently prepared. His eyes fell from his subordinates back down to the paperwork and narrowed with discontent.
“At the risk of repeating myself, publishing this would be the same as telling all Level One adventurers to die.”
“Umm…”
“I realize you put forth much effort to collect this information, but the Guild cannot under any circumstances allow it to become public. I’m shelving the plan to use Bell Cranell as a model for adventure development.”
I was afraid of that, thought Eina as she pulled her shoulders just a little farther back.
—While working solo, slay a large amount of killer ants before taking down a Minotaur in one-on-one combat.
That was a very brief summary of how Bell reached Level 2.
Should this strategy be made public and used by many low-level adventurers as a method to level up quickly, then there was no doubt the number of casualties would be off the charts.
Low-level adventurers would think the Guild was making a joke at their expense.
“…We’ll need to sweep this under the rug. I’ll take care of the higher-ups myself.”
“I’m very sorry, sir…”
Eina’s boss, a gentleman with thin features, took one last look at the document before shutting it deep in the bowels of his desk. Most likely, no one would ever see it again.
Lightly scratching the long ears on top of his head, the man turned away from his desk and back toward the girls with a very disgruntled look on his face.
“Tulle, one more thing. “
“What is it, sir?”
“Please try to keep your emotions in check from now on.”
“…Yes, sir. I will be more careful.”
After being scolded for that last incident of the morning—when she had shouted Bell’s personal information in the crowded lobby—Eina deeply lowered her head in apology.
Grateful to her superior for overlooking the incident, she sighed quietly to herself.
The man took a moment to clear his throat and said, “Next, Frot,” looking toward the human girl.
“Y-yes?”
“…The quality of paperwork submitted to the Denatus was extremely poor. Especially the last one, for adventurer Bell Cranell.”
“B-but, sir—. He leveled up so soon before the meeting that I had no time—! I did the best I could with my back against the wall, so please don’t question the effort that I put into making it!”
“I understand what you’re saying…but I’m talking about the whole project. Should we receive any complaints from the gods, it will be your job to talk to them alone, Frot. I can’t help you if it comes to that.”
“Waaaah—Eina—,” sobbed Misha as she wrapped her arms around her friend’s shoulders. Eina sighed for the second time in as many minutes. Their supervisor turned to face his desk with a very curt “You may leave.” The two of them backed away from him and started walking toward the exit.
But rather than returning straight to the lobby, they decided to stop at the break room in the corner of the office.
Using a magic-stone machine they had operated many times before, both of them had a cup of hot tea in their hands in no time at all.
“Ugh…Tell your little brother I said ‘thanks a lot’…”
“Little brother…? He’s not the only reason for what happened today, Misha.”
“Not listening! Can’t hear a word you’re saying!”
Swish. Eina could only look on in astonishment as her human friend’s shoulders slumped, turning away.
Misha’s pink hair swung lightly around her chin as she sipped tea and tried to make herself as small as possible.
She hasn’t changed at all since our school days, thought Eina with a grimace on her face.
“Not to change the subject, but what was with all of them? Everyone seemed really uptight.”
“Hmm, well, they aren’t usually like this…”
They couldn’t find a single relaxed face among the Guild employees from their vantage point at the corner of the office.
Many of them were up, pacing back and forth in front of their desks. Those who were sitting in their chairs kept looking at the clock as if it were about to explode. The office was normally filled with pens racing across parchment, but that sound was nowhere to be heard.
Actually, the two girls had a pretty good idea of what was causing the heavy mood.
“It’s just past three in the afternoon…It’s over, right—the Denatus?”
“Most likely. The results should have been delivered by now…”
This was the usual scene on the second floor of the Guild after a Denatus meeting.
The Guild employees were very interested to know the titles assigned to adventurers. The people of Gekai had to take their hats off to each of the names given, and nobody could wait to see what the gods and goddesses would think of next.
Seeing their superiors like this was nothing special to Eina and Misha, they had seen adventurers do exactly the same thing in the lobby many times.
“Are you excited, too, Eina? I wonder what names came up this time.”
“I…Hmm, yes. I’m a little interested this time.”
“So it’s true? Actually, one of my adventurers leveled up, too, so I can’t wait to see!”
Their conversation was interrupted without warning by a BANG!
An office door had been flung open, slamming into the wall behind it. All eyes in the room turned to face the doorway.
A man stood in the frame, trying to catch his breath and carrying a bundle of paperwork.
“It’s here—the Denatus results are here!”
“Finally!”
“Hey, open it up, already!”
All the employees dropped everything and rushed toward the door. The mob encircled the man as he passed out sheet after sheet of documents containing the second names of adventurers.
Voices of praise and amazement started ringing out almost immediately.
“Take a look at this one, this nickname.”
“Woah! Awesome…”
“They never disappoint.”
“Ahh, we’ll never measure up.”
“The gods really are different from us. The Hand of Strength and Grace, ‘Biolante’…Gives me goose bumps just reading it!”
“This is so exhilarating!”
“The gods just come up with this stuff off the top of their heads. They really are worth looking up to.”
The Guild office was suddenly alive with excitement, especially the male employees.
Eina and Misha’s supervisors seemed to be all in agreement, standing in a circle and talking as though they were of one mind. A group of women from another department arrived on the scene, their higher-pitched voices joining in the mix of enthusiastic chatter.
Misha stood just outside the break room, separate from all of the energy across the room. A sudden shiver ran down her spine, twitching her shoulders.
“T-they’re starting without us…! Let’s go, Eina!”
“Ah, sure.”
Eina followed her into the fray. Making sure not to lose sight of Misha’s pink hair as the human girl fought her way to get a copy of the name list, Bell’s face suddenly popped up in Eina’s mind.
Ohhh, a softer name would be better for him…
What if they named him something like “The Crimson Adventurer, Bloody Guy”? Suddenly she could see herself telling him—with Bell puffing out his chest with pride and her sweating—as she chose her words very carefully.
While not necessarily feeling that such a gallant name would be completely unsuitable for Bell, somehow it didn’t fit his image. Biting her lip, she did her best to calm down and prayed that she wouldn’t have to face that situation.
“Eina, I got it! Quick, have a look!”
Misha waved her over, a big smile on her face and the list in her hand.
There were several documents containing the titles selected for the adventurers. The two of them started at the top sheet, their eyes working down the list through the second and third sheets.
Eina finally found what she was looking for at the very bottom of the final paper.
“—Ah-ha-ha-ha.”
“Oh? Bell’s name?”
Eina couldn’t control the laughter pouring out of her.
Her pinkish cheeks tightened, her lips quivering into his soft smile.
Misha leaned over the list, trying to find his name. Eina read it to her out loud.
“It’s ‘Little Rookie.’”
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