Orario didn’t have much in the way of nightlife, and after today’s Dungeon exploration, Renn only wanted to get everything settled.
Then he could rest properly, and test whether this body’s recovery speed really was what he’d guessed at in the Dungeon.
But he looked at the girl walking ahead of him, the goddess who had thoughtfully arranged everything for him.
Renn took the coin pouch of Valis out of his pocket and held it out to her.
“Lady Hestia, this is today’s haul.”
“Eh?”
Hestia took the thing her follower was handing her almost on instinct, but then she heard the coins clinking inside the bag.
She turned her head, her expression blank.
“What’s this for?”
“I just feel like…
you’ve helped me a lot these past few days.”
Renn’s thinking was simple enough.
Being kept by a cute loli was nice, but he couldn’t start treating what she gave him as a matter of course.
Really, even now he still found it a little hard to believe.
In modern terms, gods and their followers were supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Right now he was the one taking everything and giving nothing back, while Hestia kept paying for all of it.
With the values drilled into him growing up, there were some things he felt he shouldn’t do.
“The equipment, the lodging, the daily expenses…
you’ve provided all of it.”
“So…”
“I’m planning to leave the money I earn from Dungeon exploration with you, Lady Hestia, and just take the daily costs out of it directly.”
“…”
Hestia looked up at the serious expression on the boy’s face.
She could tell the seriousness came from the heart.
Renn didn’t want to be a burden.
She understood the feeling perfectly well, and it was exactly that sentiment which mattered to her more than anything else.
“Renn…”
“Keep the money yourself!” Hestia’s smile was bright.
“If you really want to thank me, I’ve got a better idea.”
“Hm?”
“From now on, the future of the Hestia Familia is entirely up to you!”
Her smile turned gentle, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Your most important job right now is to get stronger.
That’s a pretty heavy responsibility, you know.”
“…”
“Besides, I think what an adventurer should be thinking about is exploring properly and building up their strength, not living up to some god’s expectations.”
“Do your best!”
“…”
Renn looked at the cute little goddess and knew she was only saying all that to reassure him, but then he thought about the promise between them.
The future of the Familia depends on me?
Is that for real…
Still, with Hestia looking at him so expectantly, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
“I’ll work toward that goal.”
“…But if you ever need money, Lady Hestia, you have to tell me.”
[Affection +3]
Hestia saw the notice pop up on the Hero Raising Plan and felt warm all over.
She lifted the boxed meal and started walking again.
“Let’s go!”
“Home first, then dinner~”
…
Back in the room at the dormitory.
Hestia laid out the takeaway food on the table, and the two of them sat facing each other.
It was a simple dinner, but there was something cozy about it.
“Renn.”
Even while eating, the young goddess didn’t forget to check on her follower’s state of mind, though it made her words come out a little muffled.
“Is tomorrow’s plan still exploring?”
“That’s right.”
For the next while at least, Renn planned to spend his days in the Dungeon.
What he made killing monsters each day was already enough to cover his expenses.
More importantly, the strength he gained was entirely his own, unlike his previous life, where he’d worked himself to death on brutal hours just so the boss could buy another villa.
He thought for a moment.
“Dungeon exploration actually isn’t as hard as I imagined.
Maybe that’s what being an adventurer does.”
“It’s like my energy never runs out during a fight.
I only feel tired once it’s over.”
At the word energy, Hestia blinked.
She knew better than anyone that by the end of today’s exploration, Renn’s energy had dropped all the way down to 3.
As for the rest of it, a bold guess was taking shape in her mind.
Was this a special change the Hero Raising Plan had brought about in him?
Simply becoming an adventurer didn’t make you special the way Renn was.
“Um…”
Once she’d finished off dinner, the goddess decided to change the subject.
“So…
how about we take a little break, like yesterday?”
“Eh?”
“We already tried it yesterday, didn’t we?” Hestia blinked her deep blue eyes.
Teasing Renn was turning out to be quite entertaining.
“A lap pillow!”
“Don’t you think it feels nice?”
“…”
A lap pillow from a cute loli?
Renn remembered how soft it had been yesterday.
He had to admit that an invitation from Hestia really was hard to turn down.
“Then…
I’ll trouble you, Lady Hestia.”
…
[Energy +15]
[Affection +2]
Hestia watched the notices from the Hero Raising Plan.
Not only had his affection gone up, his fatigue had eased off a fair amount too.
Except the energy recovery seemed to be getting slower.
Maybe she should try rewarding him some other way from now on?
“Whew…”
“This kid…
he really did work hard today.”
Listening to Renn’s even breathing, the goddess reached out and gently stroked his cheek, her expression overflowing with tenderness.
Time passed.
Hestia kept the lap pillow going until she was sure he was sleeping soundly, then carefully got up.
Before she left, she didn’t forget to pull the covers over him.
“Do your best tomorrow too.”
“Good night.”
…
When Renn’s consciousness surfaced again, Hestia was long gone from the room.
He sat up and looked out the window.
The sky was just starting to brighten.
Thanks to yesterday’s intense Dungeon exploration, plus the lack of any other nightlife in this world, he’d slept extremely well.
“…”
Renn stood up and stretched out his arms and legs.
The exhaustion from the Dungeon was completely gone, and the strangest part was that his muscles had been genuinely sore before.
After one night of rest, there was no trace of it left.
“Did I actually get cheat codes?”
“…”
Renn washed up, changed into his adventurer gear, and checked his shortsword and armor.
Once he was satisfied, he pushed open the door.
Everything around him was quiet.
The other adventurers were still asleep.
He kept the noise down, and by the time he left the dormitory and reached Adventurer Street, the sky in the distance was just turning pale.
“Hopefully I can get down to the third floor today.”
Renn started planning out the day’s exploration, the way he always did.
The goal was to earn as much Valis as possible and lighten Hestia’s load.
But as he walked along Adventurer Street and passed a rather out-of-the-way alley, his eyes caught what was happening up ahead.
Bullying.
Apparently this world wasn’t as friendly as he’d imagined.
Especially when his gaze went past the grown adventurers and found the victim cornered at the far end, the one with the supporter backpack.
The little girl looked familiar.
It was the same girl from yesterday, the one in the central plaza who’d asked if he needed a supporter and given him a quick rundown on the floors.
Lili.