Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 17 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Time for the Denatus! The meeting of the Gods is about to begin and new Titles will be given! There’s also the loss of the Miracle that had been sitting within Bell. Now that it’s been used up, will that change anything? Speaking of changes, our favorite little Prum earns one herself thanks to her training with Bell!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 17 – Denatus, Title, Changes

“Hmm,” Hestia looked at herself in the full body mirror in the master bedroom. She was in her nice white sundress with her light blue short-sleeved shirt over it. As always, she left it unbuttoned to let her large chest free. The dress showed off plenty of her cleavage, though that was intentional. She’d taken to showing off just a bit more ever since she and Bell began their relationship. The white dress went down to just above her knees and she wore some nice slip-on sandals that matched. “Not too bad.”

“You’re beautiful, Hestia.” Bell complimented her with a smile from where he was sitting on the bed.

“Heh…” Hestia smiled happily at the compliment. “Then I’ll go with this outfit.” She declared, spinning around to face Bell and letting the hem of her dress rise slightly from the motion. “The Denatus shouldn’t take too long, I think. They only happen once every three months though.”

Denatus was something of an advisory council within Orario. Gods and Goddesses with some free time gathered together to discuss things concerning the city as a whole. Anything from entertainment ideas to discussions of the current state of Orario’s economy, food supply, and even the occasional threat of invasion might be discussed in any one meeting. But the most important aspect of these meetings was that they were where the Deities decided on the Titles to be given out to Adventurers that had Leveled Up since the last Denatus.

“Since you’re Level Two now, Bell, I can attend.” Hestia smiled at her lover. “We’ll probably be choosing your Title today as well, since you ranked up at the last second before the meeting.”

“Title.” Bell’s ruby eyes took on a noticeable sparkle as he thought of what kind of Title he might get. “Getting a Title...just like Ais, Tione, and Tiona.” He couldn’t help but smile.

“Eager, aren’t you?” Hestia raised an eyebrow with a grin on her lips.

“Of course!” Bell exclaimed with a bright smile. “A Title is like an Adventurer’s banner! The Titles that the Gods and Goddesses come up with are so cool, and they sound strong too!” He thought about Ais’s Kenki, Tiona’s The Slasher, and Tione’s Jörmungandr.

“Oh…I see.” Hestia’ expression was flat and she even took a few steps back from Bell.

‘Why did she move farther away?’ Bell blinked at Hestia’s reaction.

“We’ll be avoiding any odd Titles.” Hestia informed him with an expression that Bell couldn’t quite identify. No way would she let her Bell be saddled with some ridiculous chuunibyo Title! “It’s about time for me to go. But just know this, Bell…” Hestia looked straight into his eyes. “I don’t care if I get dragged through the mud or have to beg for favors, I swear that I will bring back a perfectly acceptable Title for you, Bell!”

‘I’d heard that Denatus was a meeting where Divine Wills clashed in a solemn atmosphere. But maybe that’s wrong?’ Bell blinked as Hestia headed for the bedroom door.

“We’ll see you soon, Hestia.” Lili hugged her as Hestia prepared to head to the Denatus via a wagon taxi.

“I’m not sure how long the meeting will last, but I’ll be back once it’s over and we’ll have some dinner to celebrate Bell’s Title.” Hestia smiled as she returned the hug.

“We’ll probably just stay home and practice with each other until you get back, Hestia.” Bell kissed her cheek gently as he helped her into the taxi.

“Then I’ll make sure to update both your Statuses when I return.” Hestia giggled at the simple affection from Bell. She sat down and the driver lightly snapped the reins to get the horse moving. Hestia waved to Bell and Lili until the wagon turned the corner and she lost sight of them. Now it was time to mentally prepare herself for the craziness that Hephaestus had told her the Denatus was!

While Hestia was heading off to the Denatus, Bell and Lili headed back inside and grabbed their wooden training knives. The two were quickly in the courtyard and taking up their stances to spar. Lili moved in first, feinting right but aiming left. Bell avoided the feint and blocked her strike. He pressed his advantage with a thrust towards Lili’s chest, but the Prum sidestepped and went for a stab of her own aimed at his liver.

“Nice, Lili.” Bell backstepped to dodge while praising Lili’s footwork.

“Not good enough, yet.” Lili accepted the praise with a smile, but kept up the pressure with a flurry of strikes.

The two continued their spar, Bell slowly growing accustomed to his new Level Up as he continued to move his body. There was a definite difference in his speed, reflexes, and reaction time. He needed to try and sync himself up to his new capabilities before they delved any deeper into the Dungeon.

“Oof!” Lili staggered back from a stronger than expected counter.

“Are you alright, Lili?” Bell asked in concern. Was this what Ais meant about forgetting her strength? He was still getting used to his boosted physicality, so control would have to be worked on.

“I’m alright, Master Bell.” Lili accepted his hand and let him pull her back to her feet. “Gotcha!” She lightly stabbed him in the stomach with the training knife. “You need to be on guard for tricks like this, Master Bell.” Lili looked up at him with expectant eyes. “Just because your opponent is a girl doesn’t mean you should go easy on them.”

“Right…” Bell rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll work on it.” He nodded while internally grimacing that he hadn’t expected that. Lili had been adamant about trying to teach him all of the tricks and underhanded stuff that she’d see over her years as a Supporter. It was her way of protecting him and Bell thanked Lili for it.

“Ready to go again?” Lili brandished her wooden knife.

“Yep!” Bell smiled and readied his knife.

The two were back at it a second later as Bell pressed the offensive. A swipe from the right was blocked, but he raised his knee to strike. Lili skipped back and began to chant under her breath. Bell, knowing that Lili had slowly been working on concurrent chanting during their spars, was quick to attack to try and break her focus. Lili continued to move, sidestepping, ducking, and backstepping to keep just out of range, all the while making excellent use of her shorter stature.

“Echoing message of midnight.” Lili finished her chant and her form wavered. From the blur a short Kobold lashed out at Bell with claws and knife.

“Whoa!” Bell was the one that had to jerk back to avoid the attacks now. He blocked the knife, weaved around the claws, and even avoided a bite from Lili’s transformed jaws. He juked around Lili’s next strike and was able to take her back. A swift kick sent the transformed Prum sprawling while undoing her transformation.

“Owie…” Lili rubbed her back as she pushed herself off the ground.

“You did it, Lili!” Bell picked her up and spun her around with a bright smile. “You used concurrent chanting!”

“I did!” Lili grinned happily as Bell pulled her into a warm hug. The two held each other for a moment before clapping was heard. They separated to see Miach smiling at them both.

“That was very good, Miss Arde.” Miach praised Lili’s success.

“Thank you, Lord Miach.” Lili gave a small bow to the God. “Are you here to collect herbs?” She noticed the basket he had hanging from his arm.

“Yes, the new plants in the greenhouse are doing well after their replanting.” Miach smiled gently. “I thank you once more for your generosity in giving us this space in your garden.” He nodded to the two Hestia Familia members.

“You and Naaza are friends.” Bell waved off the thanks with a smile of his own. “It’s not like we don’t get anything in return.”

“True enough.” Miach chuckled as he headed towards the greenhouse. The Hestia Familia got a discount on anything they bought from the Blue Pharmacy after their generosity had helped the small Familia pay off their debt. “I’ll let you two get back to your training. Naaza and I are planning to do a few more experiments on increasing the efficacy of some of our potions and antidotes. So, I’m only here to collect a few fresh samples so that we can do some comparisons.”

“Let us know how it works out next time we stop by for potions.” Bell gave a short bow of his own. Miach waved as he disappeared into the garden plot to gather his chosen herbs in the greenhouse.

“Let’s keep going, Master Bell!” Lili readied her wooden knife again.

“Are you going to transform again and try to bite me?” Bell teased a little as he took his stance.

“Maybe.” Lili’s grin told him that was a definite ‘yes’ to her plans.

“Well, you’ll have to do it while under attack!” Bell moved forward and the spar began again.

-Babel Tower ~ Thirtieth Floor-

Hestia walked down the hallway towards the large meeting hall. It took up a good portion of this floor as there was never any guarantee of just how many Deities would attend a single Denatus. As she approached the doors, she heard someone behind her and then felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. Turning her head, she was met with her friend Takemikazuchi.

“Hey, Hestia.” Takemikazuchi raised his hand in greeting. He had black hair and black eyes. His hair was in a style that the Far East War God claimed to be traditional in his home region. With two long lengths of his hair tied up into hanging loops on either side of his head, framing his face, while the rest was kept secure in a low ponytail. At the moment he was wearing a black haori and gray hakama pants as opposed to his normal white clothes that had seen better days. Denatus was a meeting of the Deities of Orario and most (but not all) dressed up at least a little for it.

“Oh, Take, it’s been a bit.” Hestia smiled at her friend.

“I heard your child reached Level Two already.” Takemikazuchi looked at her for conformation. “And in only two months?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess.” Hestia played with a lock of her hair for a second. “Bell’s been working very hard.”

“That’s impressive.” Takemikazuchi smiled at her. “Even the Kenki took a full year to reach Level Two! I’ve heard many Gods talking about it over the last couple of days.”

“Come to think of it, someone in your Familia leveled up recently too, right?” Hestia smiled at him.

“Yes. Her name is Mikoto.” Takemikazuchi smiled as he thought of his child. “I’m taking the Denatus seriously today. Her Title depends on what I can leverage during the meeting.” He raised his right fist in front of him.

“You’re right.” Hestia nodded in agreement as they got to the doors. “Let’s both do our best, for the sake of our children.”

They entered the noisy meeting hall and went to find seats at the large round table. At least thirty other Deities were in attendance and a large amount of the chairs were already taken. Takemikazuchi found one and sat down and Hestia smiled brightly when Hephaestus waved her over to a seat that she’d saved. The two shared a quick greeting as Hestia sat down and looked at the last few arrivals.

“Lady Freya is here!”

“I was right to come today!”

“She’s a sight for sore eyes!”

Hestia rolled her eyes as several Gods praised the Norse Goddess of Beauty as she walked towards the table and took a seat. The noise continued though as another Goddess that Hestia didn’t much care for made her own entrance.

“Lady Ishtar~!”

“So lovely to see you!”

“Feel free to step on me!”

“Me next then!”

Ishtar, the Sumerian Goddess of Beauty, was gorgeous with long dark purple hair, dark skin reminiscent of an Amazon’s, and scantily clad in only loose orange silk that barely covered her breasts and around her hips and legs. Her outfit also included plenty of gold jewelry around her neck, wrists, and ankles that jingled slightly as she walked. The Goddess fulfilled the wishes of the Gods willing to practically throw themselves at her feet, stepping on their backs and walking across them like they were a carpet laid out for her. All with a smirk on her lips while she shot glances at Freya out of the corner of her eye. It was well-known that Ishtar was annoyed by and envious of Freya Familia’s success and power. The two Goddesses shared many Domains, so rivalry was bound to occur, even though Freya rarely acknowledged any of Ishtar’s jabs at her.

“Well then!” Loki loudly clapped her hands together to settle the room after Freya and Ishtar were seated and the dumb Gods that drooled over them had gotten back to their own seats. “We’re all here, right? Let’s get this show on the road!” She slapped her hands down on the tabletop with a grin. “Let the thousand and something-eth Denatus, begin!”

“Woo!” Calls of cheer and clapping rose up from the various Deities.

“Hosting is yours truly, Loki!” Loki raised her right hand into the air with a grin. “Pleasure to be here!” The applause and cheers continued for the Trickster Goddess.

“Why does Loki get to call the shots?” Hestia leaned over slightly to whisper to Hephaestus.

“She seems to have asked to do it.” Hephaestus whispered back. “I’m sure she’s just bored since most of her Familia in out on their expedition right now.” The Goddess of the Forge noticed Loki’s eyes on them and gave a little wave. Hestia barely paid attention, focusing on the upcoming madhouse that Hephaestus had warned her about. “You seem rather calm.”

“I’d toss and moan if it would change things,” Hestia glared at the other gathered Deities. “But it would only entertain them, right?”

“True enough.” Hephaestus nodded before looking over at Hestia. “I’ll say this now. I am only one voice among many, don’t expect that I alone can change things for you.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hestia grumbled.

“All right, then! How about an info swap to start us off?!” Loki opened the meeting to any information that any of the Deities had gotten a hold of since the last meeting. “Anyone got juicy tidbits to share?”

“I do!” One God raised his hand with a chuckle. “I heard old Soma got in trouble with the Guild recently! A slap on the wrist and now he can’t practice his hobby for a while!” He cracked up at the other God’s punishment.

“He what?!” A different God spoke up, only to look confused for a second. “Wait…what was his hobby again?”

“No clue. I’ve never met him.” The God beside him shrugged.

“Word is he’s hold up in his home clutching his knees!” The first God continued with a laugh. “I wanna see!”

“I’ll go cheer him up!” One God volunteered with a smirk.

“Cheer him up? More like rub salt in the wound!” A God on the opposite side of the table laughed back.

“I apologize for the sudden interruption, but it appears that the Kingdom of Rakia is readying itself for an invasion.” An older looking God with glasses spoke up calmly.

“That was sudden.” The Goddess next to him blinked at the tone shift of the conversation.

“Aries, again?” A different Goddess shook her head with a sigh.

“I had an idea of what it’d be like, but this is crazy.” Hestia gaped as more bits of news or gossip were tossed around by the gathered Deities. The room was starting to get loud from the ruckus.

“It’s always like this.” Hephaestus grinned at her aunt. “You should’ve seen it back when we were allowed food and drinks. Things went flying all the time, especially during the naming ceremony.” Hestia blanched at the thought of thirty or more rowdy Deities in one place with booze.

“Lessee…quiet down for a second.” Loki clapped once and the talking stopped a second later. “To sum it all up, the issue we should be most concerned with is Rakia. Tell the Guild what you know, and if your Familia is available, help take care of it, would ya?” She eyed every Deity present, getting a nod of acceptance from a few of them. “Ah, is it okay if I throw one more thing into the pot?” Her eyes opened to show off her red irises as a grin spread across her face. “Recently, a nasty new Monster species has been crawling out of the woodwork. We saw them at Monsterphilia and now they’re even appearing at the safe points in the Dungeon.” Several of the Deities looked intrigued by the odd news that Loki was sharing. “These vibrant little beasties look like someone took a paintbrush to them.”

“New species?” Several Gods and Goddesses muttered amongst themselves as Loki gave out the information that she had.

“They’re about as strong as a second-tier Adventurer…and damn illusive on top of that.” Loki let the others know that these Monsters were probably equivalent to Level Three and Four Adventurers. “They tend to show up wherever they damn well please, whether that be the Dungeon or the city of Orario itself.” She impressed upon them the danger of the Monsters that could seemingly get anywhere. “Some naughty good-for-nothings are up to their old tricks again…or so I’ve heard. Watch yourselves, everyone.”

“Oh my.” One Goddess looked more bemused by the news than concerned.

“Scary…” The God sitting next to her grinned as if he was looking forward to whatever entertainment the troublemakers would bring with their actions.

“Can I say something too?” Ganesha stood up and flexed. “Let me start with…I am Ganesha!” He posed, showing off his physique.

“Yeah, we get it. Sit down already.” Loki rolled her eyes.

“That’s not all that I want to say!” Ganesha denied as he became more animated. “I wanted to start by apologizing for the Monsterphilia debacle! Despite that, I swear on the name of Ganesha, God of the Masses, that these Monsters you speak of have no connection to my Familia whatsoever! You must believe me!”

None of the other Deities looked like they were concerned that Ganesha had any hand in the new species. He was just too much of a loud and vibrant God to try and do anything shady.

“May I have another word?!” Ganesha slammed his palms onto the table, shaking it despite its size.

“You’re gonna say it anyway, so get on with it.” Loki waved him to hurry up while resting her face on her right palm. No one noticed the small smirk that the action hid.

“One of my own was slain on the very same floor that those Monsters appeared, Floor Eighteen!” Ganesha informed the gathered Deities. “I don’t know if his death was connected to Monsterphilia, but I would like to avenge him!” Ganesha bowed his head. “I wholeheartedly request that anyone with information bring it forward!” Tears started to drip down his pink elephant mask and many of the Deities commiserated with him, knowing the pain of losing one of their children in the Dungeon. “Ngh…Hashana, why? Why did you…die during coitus?!”

Every Deity in the Denatus nearly face faulted at Ganesha’s words.

“Seduced by a bombshell only to lose his life in ecstasy!” Ganesha threw his head back so far that his body bent backwards to follow. “I am so jealous!” Tears continued to run down his mask. “I weep! Why couldn’t that have been me?!”

“Hashana didn’t kick the bucket while getting some.” Loki looked at Ganesha like he was an idiot.

“Huh?” Ganesha’s head whipped around to look at Loki.

“You idiot!”

“Moron!”

“I felt sorry for you for a second, you jackass!”

Several of the Gods and Goddesses yelled at Ganesha for confusing the cause of his child’s death. Hestia just stared blankly at Ganesha, still trying to process what she’d heard.

“Anyone else got anything to say?” Loki pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation as Ganesha sat down. Unseen was the wicked look on her face as her hand covered it. Ganesha had done exactly as she’d expected and it would make some things going forward much easier.

None of the other Deities offered up anything else and Loki decided to move the Denatus along.

“Alright, then let’s carry on, shall we?” Loki smiled at the others, getting matching grins in return. “Time for the naming ceremony!” The cheers from the Gods and Goddesses rose up once more as the part that they were all waiting for had arrived. “The reports have been shared, right? Let’s get crackin’!” All of the Deities raised the stack of papers that they’d been given earlier. “Lessee…first batter up today is Seto’s boy, an Adventurer named Ceti!”

One God out of the group gulped and started to sweat. He had darker skin and long silvery hair. “P-Please go easy on me!”

“DENIED!!!” Nearly every God and Goddesses replied with evil glints in their eyes.

“NOOOOO!!!” Seto hung his head, knowing what was about to happen.

Hestia could only stare as names were tossed around for the Adventurer, each more ridiculous than the last.

“It’s settled!” Loki called after a few more moments as a consensus was reached. “The Adventurer Ceti Selty shall be known as Dragon Knight of Dawn – Burning Fighting Fighter!”

“WHY?!” Seto cried out at the ridiculous name. Laughter rose up from the Gods around him as they teased the other Deity.

“They’re insane…” Hestia stared wide-eyed at the display.

“I understand all too well…” Hephaestus admitted with a sigh. “I used to be just like them.” A mirthless chuckle escaped her as another Adventurer was rather quickly given a horrible Title.

“Okay, moving on. Next up is Takemikazuchi’s…Ooh! Ain’t she pretty!” Loki admired the photo of the girl. “She’s from the Far East, so her name is backwards…Little Yamato Mikoto~!”

“Look at this one. Pretty damn good!” One of the God’s eyed up the young woman in the picture.

“Black hair is so nice.”

“So would havin’ some fun with a girl at this age.”

“Hey!” Takemikazuchi stood up to glare at the one that said that.

“Takemikazuchi, you hopeless bastard!”

“What?!” Takemikazuchi whirled around to look at the speaker.

“Natural born gigolo, that’s what you are…” One God scoffed at the War God.

“Goddesses, children, it doesn’t matter to you, does it? Pullin’ them into your scheme all the same.” The next God had his arms crossed over his chest.

“Got a Lolita complex or something?” A third God looked away with a huff.

“What are you talking about?!” Takemikazuchi demanded of the three.

“If words aren’t enough, how about something more physical?” One God stood up to match Takemikazuchi. “I shall be the one to deliver a requiem for little Mikoto!” He declared loudly to all the grinning Deities in the room. “Future of the Milky Way – Fortune Galaxy!”

“Damn you!” Takemikazuchi growled at the other Deity. His mind recalling Mikoto and helping to raise her since she was just a small toddler.

“Such a good girl following a hopeless God! Last Saint – Fallen Heroine!” A Goddess on the other side of the table called out her suggestion.

“Jeanne of Yamato – The Divine Wind of the Far East!” Another suggestion was thrown out.

“Saint Tail – The Holy Spy!” Yet another, even weirder, suggestion came.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Takemikazuchi slammed his fist down on the table, shaking it much as Ganesha had done earlier. “I’ve done my absolute best to raise and guide my little angel!” He glared harshly at all of the other Gods and Goddesses.

“Little Angel?”

“That’s it!”

Takemikazuchi suddenly felt like he’d only given these deviants even more ammunition.

“Salty Angel – The Lovingly Raised!” A God cackled as he suggested the name.

“Knock it off!” Hestia shouted at the laughing Deities.

“Hey, hey, Dionysus, you’re looking pretty smug.” One God leaned over to the Wine God of the Olympian Pantheon. “Care to join the discussion?”

“It’s been ages since you showed up to a Denatus.” Another God leaned in from the opposite side. “Why not toss out a suggestion?”

“Hmm…let me think.” The blonde God in the purple suit and puffy white cravat mused with his right hand cupping his face.

Takemikazuchi looked at the Wine God imploringly, making motions with his hands to convey his message. ‘Please Dionysus, I beg you, something unoffensive!’

Dionysus smiled at the Far East God, making Takemikazuchi smile slightly. “How does Eternal ✝ Shadow sound to you?” The Wine God’s grin was downright mocking in its maliciousness.

“DIONYSUS, YOU BASTARD!!!” Takemikazuchi bellowed at the smug God across the table from him.

“It’s settled. Little Mikoto will be known as Eternal ✝ Shadow. Any objections?” Loki asked the table at large.

“None thus!” The chorus was almost eerie in its unison.

“YOU MONSTERS!!!” Takemikazuchi grabbed his head in rage and shame at the name they forced on his child.

“Now then, next up is…” Loki looked at the next paper in the stack and beamed. “Hehehe…the hometown hero, my Ais! Sword Princess – Kenki is back again!” She happily declared, getting excitement from several other Gods.

“Just as cute as ever!”

“Level Six already? My word…”

“No real point in changing her Title now, is there?”

“If we were going to change it, maybe something like Sword Saint?”

“Huh? That’d totally change her image!”

“Clearly the only option here is…”

“Our Wife!” One declared with a joyous smile.

“It’s perfect!” His four compatriots agreed.

“I’ll kill every last one of ya.” Loki’s lone visible eye looked murderous and she was practically leaking killing intent while glaring death at the loudmouths.

“We’re very sorry!” All five nearly slammed their foreheads into the table as they bowed to the angered Loki.

“Learn to pick your battles, idiots.” Loki scoffed at them. “Ais is good as is.” She stamped the paper and the meeting moved on.

“Damn! This is why I can’t stand the big Familias!” Hestia glared at Loki from across the table.

“Last one for today…” Loki trailed off as she looked at the picture of the vaguely familiar teen. Seeing his Familia, she quickly read over the rest of the document in her hand. ‘He leveled up…in only two months?!’ Loki blinked at the papers. ‘Eight years ago, an eight-year-old girl with no sense of place leveled up abnormally quick. It took her a year to do it. She set a record for the fastest rank up…and this brat goes and breaks it in two months flat?’ She recalled all the times that little Ais had thrown herself into battle with no concern for her own wellbeing.

“…Record Holder.” Hermes practically sang as he stared at Bell’s picture. A few other Gods and Goddesses had also noticed the unheard of speed of his Level Up and were showing quite a lot of interest.

“Hey, Shorty!” Loki slammed her hand on the desk, Bell’s paper under her palm. “Got a question for ya, before we get to namin’!” She glared at Hestia, suspicion in her red eyes. “He leveled up in two months flat. You expecting me to believe that?” Hestia blinked at Loki, surprised at the redhead’s outburst. “Eight years ago, my Ais needed a whole year to reach Level Two. Doing that in two months? What’re you trying to pull?!” She knew that Hestia wasn’t connected to the ones that her Familia were after. The short Goddess didn’t have a scrap of darkness in her and was normally lazy as heck on top of that, but she’d still ask questions, just in case. “Our Falna alone can’t do that! A child that levels up this quickly simply doesn’t exist. So, spill it.”

‘This is bad!’ Hestia thought to herself, seeing the eyes of almost every Deity at the table on her. ‘But I can’t tell them about Bell’s Liaris Freese Skill! This place will erupt the second they find out. Both the Unique Skill and the fact that he set the record. They’d hound him day and night! They’ll treat him like a toy!’

“So, you can’t say?” Loki narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t have happened to break the rules now, would you?”

“Absolutely not!” Hestia shot up from her chair, hands slapping onto the table. The Miracle that Bell had lying within him must never be found out! She may not have broken the rules, but someone clearly had and she’d be blamed for it.

“Okay, then out with it.” Loki shrugged nonchalantly. “If your conscience is clean, then this should be easy as pie.” In the privacy of her thoughts, she had already worked out the most likely solution. ‘Itty Bitty couldn’t have used Arcanum without being sent back to Tenkai automatically. She’s also not skilled enough to take something from Tenkai and hide it long enough to give it to her brat. Hell, she didn’t even have a Familia until two months ago!’ Her red eyes drifted down to look at the picture of Bell again. ‘Which means that it’s got to be a Skill. A rare, undocumented one that could speed up the rate of growth. Itty Bitty’s brat just got lucky, that’s all there is to it.’ She was still going to make Hestia squirm though.

‘Damn it…is there no way out?’ Hestia lamented as the eyes of all the Gods and Goddesses began to drill into her.

“My, my, what’s the big deal?” Freya’s voice broke the stare down like a rock hitting a pane of glass. Every eye in the room turned to her all at once.

“…Huh?” Hestia blinked at the sudden interjection.

“What?” Loki looked at Freya with a grimace.

“It is taboo to reveal the inner workings of any Familia. That includes the Status of any members. So, what’s the point of your persistent questioning?” Freya questioned Loki, her black-gloved hand delicately holding her own chin.

“We’re talkin’ two months!” Loki snapped at Freya. “What don’t you get, airheaded vixen?”

“Fufufu… Why does this bother you so much, Loki?” Freya had a smile on her lips. “I’m much more interested by this strange attitude of yours. Is this jealousy, perhaps? Is it because Hestia’s boy broke your favorite little girl’s record?”

“Like I care.” Loki responded flatly, clearly unamused by Freya’s insinuation.

“I wonder.” Freya teased, her eyes showing amusement.

‘What the hell is going on?’ Hestia looked back and forth between Loki and Freya. This whole situation had just become way more confusing.

“Of course, it’s difficult to believe at first, but this boy, by some miracle, managed to slay a Minotaur. Not even a normal Minotaur according to the report, but a strengthened species at that. He beat the odds that were completely stacked against him.” Freya’s index finger gently tapped Bell’s picture. “If, perhaps, defeating a Minotaur meant something special to the boy, then the Excelia gained could’ve also been much more potent than normal.” Her silvery-purple eyes looked over at Hestia before she turned to face her properly. “Perhaps Hestia can clear this up for us? Does your child have any history with Minotaurs?”

“Well…he was almost killed by one…on the Fifth Floor.” Hestia spoke, still unsure of this whole situation. “He couldn’t do anything against it back then. He had to be saved from it.”

“So, the warrior is bested by a Monster, but survives. He trains and grows stronger, then he slays the beast the next time they meet!” Hermes spoke up loudly and with exuberance. “What a classic tale! I love the old stories playing out in the modern day!” He cheered with his hands in the air. “I agree with Lady Freya!” He blew a kiss to the Norse Goddess with a large grin.

“Yes, that does make sense.”

“That’s an old story!”

“Hard to argue with the classics.”

“I could see him leveling up in that situation!”

“Indeed, it practically seems like fate!”

The other Gods and Goddesses were nodding in agreement now. All of them seeing just how Bell could’ve leveled up so quickly. With Freya saying so, many of the Gods quickly agreed. With Hermes reminding them of the old tales, it practically seemed fated to happen. There was no further inquiry, but Loki narrowed her eyes at Freya, realizing what was going on with the Goddess of Beauty.

‘That horny goddess has got the hots for itty bitty’s rabbit!’ Loki nearly groaned to herself. Why couldn’t the amorous bint just be satisfied with all the love and affection that was already being thrown her way?

“Leaving so soon, Lady Freya?” The God sitting next to her asked as Freya stood up from her chair.

“Yes. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll excuse myself.” Freya confirmed with a grin.

“You’ve been here this long. Why not help name Loli Big Boob’s boy?” He chuckled.

“Fufufu… No, I cannot.” Freya giggled behind her hand. “Still…just be sure to make it something cute.” She graced them all with a beautiful smile.

“Okay!” All of the Gods cheered happily, while several of the Goddesses rolled their eyes. Ishtar was glaring outright and her hands were clenched into fists. Once Freya left, all the Gods quickly turned back in their seats, focused on the task at hand. Hestia just looked flatly at them and how easily they let themselves be manipulated by the other Goddess.

“Shall we get down to business and choose a Title for this boy?”

“But this human…there’s nothing to go on.”

“No rumors, only a reputation of being a decent Rookie Adventurer, barely anything to work with!”

“We need more details! These papers from the Guild are no help at all.”

“White hair and red eyes…a rabbit? What about Pyonkichi?”

“Nah, some Smith already gave that name to a piece of armor, if I remember right.”

“Beat us to it! Who is this Smith?”

“Well, he’s a rabbit deadly enough to kill a Minotaur…hmm.”

“Caerbannog!” One God suddenly stood up with a wide, mocking smile. There were several snickers at the suggestion before a sandal slammed into the God’s face and sent him to the floor with a yelp of pain.

“Anybody else?!” Hestia was fuming! No way in hell was she letting them call her sweet Bell that! She glared at every single Deity at the table with violent eyes.

“We’ll be good.” Multiple Gods and Goddess agreed to stay out of it instantly.

“Good.” Hestia sat back down in her seat. “Hermes!” The called out God sat up straight in his chair.

“Yes, Aunt Hestia?” Hermes put on his most respectful tone for his aunt.

“Fetch my shoe for me.” Hestia requested of the Messenger God.

“Why me?” Hermes asked, since it was literally on the other side of the table from him.

Hestia reached below the table and then raised her second sandal into view. “Because I have a second one.” She glared at her nephew.

“…Yes, ma’am.” Hermes acquiesced to her demand and stood up to retrieve her thrown sandal.

“I’m not going to be cowed by your tantrum, itty bitty.” Loki smirked at Hestia. “I think I’ve got a nice fluffy name for your boy.”

“Loki…” Hestia growled at the redheaded Goddess. Hermes brought her sandal back to her only to have it nearly snatched out of his hands. Hestia didn’t bother putting either of her sandals back on. The second Loki suggested anything bad for her Bell, she’d nail the Trickster Goddess straight in the face with one of them! Just as Loki was about to speak, she was interrupted.

“It would be a shame if the Loki Familia suddenly had to pay a ten percent premium on all Hephaestus Familia weapons and armor.” Hephaestus spoke up, her chin resting on her palm as she looked at her fellow redhead.

“Eh?” Loki blinked at the blatant threat to her Familia’s finances.

“Before Hestia gets shoes banned from the Denatus too. How about we come up with an agreeable Title?” Hephaestus suggested with an unconcerned expression on her face.

“Hephaestus?” Hestia looked over at her niece in surprise. She had been told not to expect any real support.

“Aw, come on Phai-tan! It’s tradition to give the one’s with small Familia a shameful little nickname.” Loki protested the protection that Hestia was receiving.

“Are you prepared to take a sandal to the face for it?” Hephaestus raised a delicate eyebrow.

“Like I’d let her hit me.” Loki scoffed at the mere thought.

“Then maybe it needs to be a twenty percent premium?” Hephaestus countered and Loki nearly flinched.

Hephaestus Familia not only made some of the best weapons and armor in all of Orario (and quite possibly the world) but they did so on the largest scale for the city as well. The Goibniu Familia made damn good weapons, but they mostly focused on custom orders from clients that could either pay for incredibly expensive materials, or provided said materials themselves. That wasn’t taking into account that their Familia was split between Smiths and Builders (Carpenters, Stone Masons, etc.) and that the Goibniu Familia was much smaller than the Hephaestus Familia too. All in all, Hephaestus had about eighty percent of all weapons and armor for second and first tier Adventurers on lock. Paying a twenty percent premium or being short on armor and weapons were the only two options being made available to Loki and everyone knew it.

“Ah…hey, now…c’mon Phai-tan, why’re you protecting itty bitty?” Loki grimaced at the blatant breaking of the Denatus tradition.

“I’m not asking for the boy to be given some grand Title or anything that he hasn’t earned.” Hephaestus shook her head. “Just something acceptable.”

“Fine…” Loki pouted as she sat down again. “Ruin all my fun, Phai-tan.”

“It’ll be worth losing your fun this once, won’t it?” Hephaestus asked rhetorically.

“As long as it’s just this once.” Loki let it go. She wasn’t really upset or anything. Hell, with Freya’s request already in place, there wasn’t much chance of the boy getting a bad Title thanks to the idiot Gods that threw themselves at her. But when Hestia had actually stood up for herself successfully, Loki had decided to step in. She wouldn’t have bothered normally, just letting the Denatus take its normal course, but now she’d have to get her fun later. The Trickster was never outplayed!

-Babel ~ After the Denatus-

The Guild employees stood around with all of the new Titles given out at the Denatus. They’d made dozens upon dozens of copies and were planning to post them up and ship them out to the businesses and other places that paid to have them delivered. The new Titles given out during the Denatus were always the talk of Orario every three months.

“Hey, check out this Title!” One Guild worker held up a paper.

“Damn, that’s awesome.” Another worker nodded.

“Look at this one!” A Chienthrope worker pointed at one.

“Hand of Strength and Grace – Biolante.” Another read off the Title. “The Gods are really something else.”

“I’ve got chills.”

“We could never compete.”

“Sorry I’m late, Eina.” Misha pushed her way through the crowd of employees. “What Title did your Ideal Rookie get?”

“…Found it.” Eina had to shuffle through the stack to get to Bell’s paper. She smiled as she read off the paper. “He’s the Hare of the Hearth – Rabbit Foot.”

-Thirtieth Floor of Babel-

“Hey, Itty Bitty, wait up.” Loki called out as Hestia and Hephaestus were heading for the last free elevator. Leaving the Denatus was always a matter of who could get to the elevators first.

“Loki?!” Hestia instantly had her hackles raised as she glared at the redhead. Hephaestus merely sighed and hoped that she didn’t have to try and break up an argument.

“Simmer down,” Loki waved off Hestia’s anger. “I just wanted to tell you to watch your back around Freya.”

“Huh?” Hestia went from agitated to confused in a split second.

“Keep your eyes open is what I’m sayin’.” Loki crossed her arms in front of her chest. “As much as it pains me to warn ya, I can’t stand watching that vixen do as she pleases.”

“H-Hold on a second…” Hestia couldn’t quite process what Freya had to do with anything right now. “What do you mean ‘warn me’ exactly?”

“You idiot, wake up.” Loki leaned close to Hestia. “That woman just protected your boy.”

“Freya…protected Bell?” Hestia didn’t think Freya had done so, but the Norse Goddess had been rather chatty, not to mention actually showing up to a Denatus at all. “That means…” She realized that Freya must have some interest in Bell. Probably from his record breaking Level Up speed.

“Well, I said what I wanted to say.” Loki shrugged as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. “Oh yeah, one last thing.” She turned to look at Hestia with a mischievous smirk. “No one outplays the Trickster Goddess!” With that her hand moved like a blur and swatted Hestia’s ass, making it bounce.

“Eeekkk!” Hestia jumped from the sudden spank and her hands flew behind her to cover her butt. “Loki!” She glared, only to see the redhead stealing their elevator too!

“Revenge is sweet!” Loki laughed as the doors closed and the elevator descended, leaving Hestia and Hephaestus standing there waiting.

“Well…it could’ve been worse?” Hephaestus looked for the silver lining of Loki’s revenge. At least it wasn’t something over the top and potentially harmful. Aside from Hestia’s bottom possibly having a red spot on it from Loki’s hand.

“I’m going to get her back!” Hestia threatened the already departed Goddess with a growl, still gently holding her stinging ass cheek. Only Bell was allowed to spank her!

-Hestia Familia Home ~ Evening-

“So, that’s my Title?” Bell reread the paper in his hands for what had to be the twentieth time. “Hare of the Hearth – Rabbit Foot.” He spoke it again as a smile pulled at his lips. It wasn’t overly flashy or super cool, but it did fit him rather well. His Agility had always been his highest stat, his luck with Drop Items was incredibly good according to Lili and he’d even gained the Luck Developmental Ability that no one had ever had before too. So, the whole rabbit’s foot good luck charm angle of his new Title fit as well. And yes, even his white hair and red eyes went with the ‘rabbit’ motif. He’d rather not admit that last part out loud though. Rabbits weren’t exactly the animal most people thought of when the word Hero was brought up in the tales of old.

“I think it fits you perfectly, Master Bell.” Lili smiled at him brightly as she sat next to him.

“I had to fight for something respectable, and Hephaestus even stepped in on my behalf.” Hestia explained as she leaned into Bell’s side with a smile. “I’m glad you like it, Bell.”

“It’s better than I was expecting.” Bell admitted with a grin. He’d seen some Titles for Level Two Adventurers that even he did a double-take at. Hearing about the Denatus from Hestia made the situation much clearer. Some Titles really were inside jokes between the Deities, and Adventurers just had to live with that until they leveled up again.

“How about I update your Statuses and then we can all get a bath, dinner, and then head to bed?” Hestia suggested with a warm smile to Bell and Lili.

“How about a massage right before bed?” Bell offered with his own smile.

“Deal!” Lili and Hestia agreed at the same time, their eyes sparkling brightly.

“Lili, you’re up first today.” Hestia patted the spot beside her on the couch.

“Alright,” Lili stood up and moved over to sit on Hestia’s opposite side. Without concern, she pulled off her shirt to expose her back. Being topless around Bell was no longer anything that she was embarrassed about. Especially since she knew how much he liked her breasts. A small grin crossed her lips as she felt Hestia’s blood touch her back.

The Status Update didn’t take very long. Hestia only had to look through Lili’s training Excelia for the day after all. But seeing that she’d succeeded in concurrent casting for the first time made Hestia speak up. “You can do concurrent casting now, Lili! I’m so proud of you.” The smile on Hestia’s face nearly lit up the room.

“It doesn’t work every time, but Lili will do her best to get better!” Lili looked over her shoulder with a happy grin from the praise.

“Okay…and you’re all done.” Hestia placed a blank paper on Lili’s back and transferred the updated Status onto it before handing it to Lili.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – H 110 > H 121

Defense – H 155 > H 167

Dexterity – G 267 > G 279

Agility – E 422 > E 434

Magic – E 461 > E 478

Magic

-Cinder Ella-

Transformation Magic – Incantation: ‘Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.’

(Enables the user to transform into anything around their own size.)

Skills

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Harvester - When breaking down monsters the user is more likely to acquire a Drop Item and higher quality ones too. Also enables the harvesting of other monster parts for material.

-Status-

“Lili went up a good amount in everything.” Lili smiled at the increase in her stats. Her Magic had gotten a good boost from all the times she’d used it today. The success with concurrent casting had probably helped that along too. “Our training sessions are working out even better now that you’re a Level Two, Master Bell.” Lili turned to him with a smile, exposing her breasts to him in the process.

“I’m glad I’m able to help you, Lili.” Bell returned her smile with one of his own. His red eyes dipped down a few seconds later to take in her chest and Lili had a smug little smirk as she put her shirt back on.

“You’re turn, Bell.” Hestia turned to face him and Bell pulled off his shirt before turning to face away from her. He felt Hestia’s hands run over his back appreciatively for a moment before the drop of blood touched his skin and his Falna appeared. The glow of a Status Update followed, and just like Lili’s update, this one didn’t take long. “Done and done.” Hestia nodded as the numbers transferred over to the blank paper she’d placed on his back.

“Thank you, Hestia.” Bell kissed her cheek softly as he accepted the paper and looked over his first update since becoming a Level Two.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 2

Strength – I 0 > I 10

Defense – I 0 > I 5

Dexterity – I 0 > I 11

Agility – I 0 > I 12

Magic – I 0 > I 6

Magic

-Firebolt-

-Vesta Enhance-

Enchant Magic – Incantation: ‘Rise’

(Increases all Basic Abilities for five minutes. Then can’t be cast for five minutes after the increase wears off. Effect rises based on the Magic Stat.)

-Thunderbolt-

Skills

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Dexterity when wielding a weapon in each hand.

Argonaut – Executes automatically after charging from active actions.

Heroic Will – Raises Stats when the user refuses to give up in the face of adversity. Those with lower Stats see the user as near unassailable.

Developmental Abilities

Luck – I

Hunter – I

-Status-

“That seems right for the training we did today.” Bell nodded at the small increase to all of his stats. He’d only used Firebolt once during their sparring, and that was at Lili’s request to measure her chanting speed against the speed of his Swift-Strike Magic.

“Let’s get to the baths.” Lili grinned and Hestia got up from the couch to follow after the Prum. They’d bathe together first to save time, then Bell would have his bath. While he was bathing the girls would start cooking and Bell would help them finish up when he was done bathing.

‘Then it’ll be time for massages!’ Hestia and Lili both had the same thought without knowing it. The two girls were almost skipping to the bathroom to enjoy the large tub, both looking forward to what came afterwards.

-End Chapter-

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Title acquired!

Bell got the Rabbit Foot Title first this time! It really does fit all of his attributes though, doesn’t it?

I hope you enjoyed the Monty Python reference! *Laughs*

Loki got her revenge for being denied her fun at the Denatus! The Trickster Goddess better watch her nice backside the next time that she’s around Hestia!

Lili has gotten concurrent chanting to work! It’s still rough around the edges, and she can still mess up, but she’s capable of it now! Woohoo!

Next up is the celebration for Bell at the Hostess of Fertility. After that, Bell really does need to replace his armor and lost weapons. I’m sure a certain redheaded Blacksmith could help out with that!

Perhaps we’ll even peek in on what the Loki Familia Expedition is up to after a couple days of traveling deeper and deeper into the Dungeon. They’ve got to at least be in the Fortieth Floors by now, right?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!