A new chapter is up.
Come in, get comfortable, and let’s see what kind of trouble waits this time ❤️ ✦ Nolan explained it according to what he remembered from the story.
By all logic, once Bell Cranel arrived in Orario, Freya should already have had her eyes on him.
So why had he still ended up choosing Hestia?
Most likely, it was because seducing a hero away right in front of his goddess was exactly the kind of twisted thrill gods enjoyed.
And the moment the original god-made hero came up, Hephaestus became interested again.
Yes.
This was what she wanted to hear most.
“God-made hero.” “Tell me quickly.
Who is that god-made hero?” She had waited long enough.
Now she wanted the answer.
“Wait.
We agreed on payment first.” Hestia immediately remembered that this information was valuable.
That had been part of the deal.
“I am not short on money, as long as the information is true.” Hephaestus waved a hand.
If the information proved reliable, she was not going to haggle over a little valis.
The two goddesses reached an agreement.
Nolan looked from one to the other.
“Bell Cranel.” “A heroic descendant of the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia.” “That part should be something you can verify.” “Bell Cranel was taken out of Orario by Zeus a long time ago.” That immediately made Hephaestus think of something.
“Is he that one?” She had already connected the name to someone.
Still, she did not care much about Bell Cranel’s past life or ancestry.
She was a smith.
Her work was iron, weapons, and the forge.
“The reincarnated soul of Argo from a thousand years ago.” “The one praised as the last hero.” “Zeus entrusted Hermes with watching over him.” Nolan gave them enough information to work with.
“Hm.
Wait.” “If Hermes is watching him, and Freya is watching him too, why would Freya not take him for herself?” Hestia felt that something was off.
Because she had chosen Nolan, her view of Bell Cranel had already shifted into that of an outsider.
He was a hero another god had deliberately raised.
Since she had already chosen Nolan, a god like her would not simply choose again.
“Because Hestia is a kind goddess, and kind gods give their whole hearts to their children.” “More importantly, because gods have awful senses of humor.” “If Hestia had chosen Bell Cranel, Freya would have relished seducing him away right in front of a virgin goddess and forcing her to watch helplessly.” Nolan voiced his guess.
“As for why Bell Cranel was not chosen by the other Familias, his small build was one reason.
Freya quietly pushing things along was probably another.” “After all, how can someone be called a hero if he never suffers?” “As long as he keeps his innocent heart while falling through hardship, that kind of pure soul is what attracts gods the most.” Yes.
A very proper kind of divine cruelty.
“Damn it.” Hestia ground her teeth in frustration.
So if she had chosen Bell Cranel, Freya would have made a move on him.
A hero who suffered, found peace, and still acted like a hero would only make his soul shine brighter.
If Freya succeeded in taking him away, she could probably imagine Hestia’s devastated face already.
“That does sound like something Freya would do.” Hephaestus thought about it and had to admit that it fit Freya’s style.
How could a goddess of beauty not be proud of her own beauty?
Knowing the personalities of gods, Hephaestus could easily imagine them doing something that twisted for fun.
Now that she understood the origin of this god-made hero and the problem around him, Hephaestus naturally wanted to turn the information into something useful.
“Bell Cranel.
Not bad.” “If the information is accurate, I will accept it.” Hephaestus was prepared to pay Nolan properly.
“Nolan, what do you want?” After thinking for a moment, she decided this child deserved a gift.
An honest child should be rewarded.
“Money is fine.” Nolan thought it over.
He truly did not need much else right now.
Even if he did have needs, his current situation required a lot of preparation.
Taking some money first would stabilize things.
The potions in Orario were almost miraculous.
They could not cure terrifying curse-level illnesses, but basic healing potions for surface wounds were relatively cheap.
He had no intention of blindly handing his life over to something as dangerous as the Dungeon.
“Money?” “I thought you would buy weapons from me.” “If you plan to adventure in the Dungeon, you should at least have proper arms.” “Magic swords, or powerful special weapons of some kind.” Hephaestus had assumed Nolan would want direct firepower.
Instead, compared with special weapons, his request was almost plain.
Nolan looked a little embarrassed.
“My original plan was to become a low-profile adventurer and grow slowly.” “But after Hestia awakened my abilities, my thinking changed.
I need to prepare first.” “If I can adventure safely, I would rather do it safely.” Nolan made no attempt to hide that he valued his life.
Originally, he had planned to stay quiet and grow step by step.
Now the plan had changed.
His abilities had evolved so quickly that even he had been caught off guard.
He needed to redesign his whole way of fighting.
“I see.” Hephaestus studied him.
He was cautious.
Even after gaining a special ability, he had not let ambition rush to his head.
Steady progress.
He looked like a qualified adult.
“Here.” Hephaestus walked to her desk.
She opened a drawer and took out two cards.
“These cards hold valis deposited with the dwarves.” “If you need money, you can withdraw it there.
Consider it payment for the information you sold me.” She handed him two deposit cards at once.
Orario had bank-like deposit services as well.
Most were operated by dwarves, and their credit was excellent.
“Thank you.” Nolan accepted the cards gratefully.
Then he placed them into Spatial Storage.
In this labyrinth city built around the Dungeon, he had gained his first real stake.
‘In a sense, that information really was worth the price.’ With money backing him up, Nolan felt much more confident.
Next, he needed to prepare new weapons.
His Spatial Storage could not go to waste.
For the moment, he had to return to his own world and buy what he needed: explosive drones, missile systems, and rocket artillery.
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS AuroraVale Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you a little deeper into the story.
Stay close, because things are only getting more interesting.