“People say that updating a follower’s Status brings them closer to their god.
I think they’re right.”
Hestia looked at Rhodes, who was sitting before her with his shirt off.
Rubbing her hands together, she noticed how his training was already beginning to show in his growing strength.
This was her very own boy!
As for the update itself, she had performed the procedure twice before and was becoming quite practiced at it.
She pricked her finger with a silver needle and squeezed out a drop of divine blood.
The moment it touched the Falna on Rhodes’s back, a gentle light bloomed.
…
RhodesLevel: Lv.
1Strength: H 103 → G 223Endurance: I 83 → G 201Dexterity: H 112 → G 230Agility: I 93 → G 218Magic: I 0 → I 0
…
After copying the updated Status onto parchment, Hestia carefully examined the numbers.
Silence settled over the room.
Because—
She was beginning to realize that the follower she had recruited possessed a degree of talent far more outrageous than she had imagined.
Was this even possible?
Hestia might not have firsthand experience with the growth rates of ordinary adventurers, but she had certainly heard about them.
For example—
There was Ais Wallenstein, a member of Loki’s Familia.
The Sword Princess.
They had just seen her Familia at the Hostess of Fertility.
Ais had gone from Level 1 to Level 2 in a single year, breaking the record not just in Orario, but across the entire world.
She had become a legend for the fastest level-up.
No adventurer had surpassed that record since.
Hestia remembered it particularly well because Loki had rubbed it in her face soon after she arrived in Orario.
Even now, she could picture that smug expression.
“Then…”
“If he keeps growing at this rate, Rhodes could reach Level 2 in half a month at most!”
A bold possibility took shape in Hestia’s mind.
Even to a goddess, it was difficult to believe.
The adventurer she had picked up off the street was a monstrous talent?
“Lady Hestia…”
“Ahem!”
Hearing Rhodes call her name, Hestia finally realized that she had lost her composure.
She cleared her throat and tried to look normal again.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from turning upward.
“Rhodes.”
“How should I put this… I want you to have more confidence in your talent.”
“You’re the most remarkable child I’ve ever met!”
“…”
The most remarkable.
That was probably because Hestia Familia didn’t have any other members to compare him with.
Rhodes accepted the parchment and examined his updated Status.
Hmm…
Simply looking at the numerical increases didn’t tell him much.
After all, judging by the letters preceding each ability, the highest rank would presumably be A.
Or perhaps there was an S rank, like in online games.
Maybe even something above that?
Viewed that way, the progress he had made over two days of exploration seemed… merely passable.
Back when he played dating sims, a single all-nighter had been enough to max out not just the lewdness meter, but every sensitivity stat as well.
Rhodes put the parchment away and looked at Hestia.
“Thank you for trying to reassure me, Lady Hestia.”
“You don’t need to thank me!”
Helping Rhodes recognize his own talent was starting to feel like an urgent priority.
Of course, that didn’t mean Hestia intended to go around boasting about it.
All she had to do was wait until he reached Level 2.
Then the other adventurers in Orario would make the truth clear to him.
“Get some proper rest.”
“I’ll leave your exploration schedule up to you.
But as your goddess, I still want you to balance work and rest.”
“Don’t wear yourself out.
Get to bed early!”
Having said that, Hestia saw no reason to linger in the dormitory.
Staying would only keep Rhodes from resting.
More importantly—
There was a new feature in the Hero Nurturing Project waiting for her.
She was eager to find out exactly how the Exploration Log would help.
With a spring in her step, Hestia returned to her friend’s home to resume her freeloading.
She rushed past Hephaistos’s greeting and straight into her room.
“Hee-hee!”
When the translucent screen appeared, the first thing she saw was the panel displaying Rhodes’s potential.
…
[Character: Rhodes]
[Strength Potential: B][Endurance Potential: B][Dexterity Potential: B+][Agility Potential: B][Magic Potential: D]
[Overall Assessment: Through practical combat training and Rhodes’s dedicated efforts in the Dungeon, this unpolished gem has begun to take shape.]
[However, he still has a long way to go before he can be called a hero in the making.]
…
“Holy crap!”
The meaning of the information was straightforward.
As long as Rhodes continued developing steadily, he could raise his basic abilities to B rank.
What did that mean?
It meant that, no matter which Familia in Orario he joined, his potential would justify training him as an elite member!
And his ultimate potential still had room to grow.
The only concern was his aptitude for magic.
He hadn’t learned any spells yet, and his Magic Potential remained stuck at D.
Even so, Hestia was more than delighted.
Lying on the soft bed with a pillow tucked between her knees, she began to daydream.
“The limit for basic abilities… should be S rank, right?”
“So…”
“An inadequate goddess like me actually gets to have a follower as wonderful as Rhodes?”
“Hee-hee-hee… hehehehe!”
“…”
Outside Hestia’s room, Hephaistos had raised a hand to knock.
Then she heard the increasingly unhinged laughter from within.
Her hand stopped in midair.
There was no doubt about it.
Hestia had completely lost her mind!
Was an adventurer’s life really everything Rhodes had imagined?
Would he become a hero, encounter a pair of princess sisters, and meet white-haired beast-girls?
The answer was no.
At the very least, he hadn’t been playing around with any fire pokers.
To describe his life honestly, it was simply… busy and fulfilling.
He had traded the company he worked for in his previous life for Orario’s Dungeon.
The money he earned belonged to him.
And he could keep growing stronger.
Those two advantages alone were enough to fill Rhodes with seemingly endless enthusiasm every morning.
“Well, here we are…”
“Time to start today’s Dungeon expedition!”
After making his preparations, Rhodes left the dormitory.
Before heading into the Dungeon, however, he needed breakfast.
Fried potato balls.
They tasted pretty good.
More importantly, they were filling and came in generous portions.
But when he reached the stall, he spotted a familiar girl standing in front of it.
They had already met twice.
And yesterday, she had served as his supporter.
Rhodes thought it would be rude not to greet her.
He raised a hand.
“Good morning, Miss Lili.”
“…”
The girl looked up.
The moment she recognized Rhodes, she snatched up her bag of potato balls.
Then—
Without another glance in his direction, she turned and walked away.
….
I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
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I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length.
If you’re following a particular series, please wait your turn a little If there’s a particular novel you’re enjoying on Patron, please give it a ‘like’ so I know to focus on it