Takemikazuchi, the god of war.
Renn didn’t really know anything about this god, but anyone who carried a title like that had to be genuinely strong.
What surprised him more than that was the network of divine connections Hestia had, since he’d already figured out yesterday that her Familia was a ramshackle operation.
So at this stage his “boss” was patching holes wherever she could.
Renn couldn’t think of a single reason to refuse.
If he learned the basics of fighting, he’d at least be able to start exploring the Dungeon properly.
“Thank you, Lady Hestia.”
“Come on.”
“Don’t say thanks.
I’m looking forward to the day you start exploring the Dungeon.
If you really want to thank me, just work twice as hard!”
Her thinking was simple.
As long as it helped Renn, that was enough.
She didn’t rush him either.
Once he’d washed up and was ready to head out, she held out the jagamarukun in her hand.
“Eat some breakfast.”
“…”
He had the constant feeling Hestia was raising him to be completely useless.
But he didn’t turn it down.
He chewed on the plain jagamarukun and followed her down Adventurer Street.
It was like she’d said.
If he really wanted to repay this kind of help, he’d put in twice the effort and try not to make his goddess worry about him any more than she already did.
Hestia finally stopped in front of the Townhouse, and with Takemikazuchi about to meet him, she remembered to explain things first.
“You’ll be training with Takemikazuchi today.
He’s got a good personality, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Just focus on learning.”
“Okay.”
“What about you, Lady Hestia?”
“Me…?”
At the key question, Hestia blinked her blue eyes, reached up to pat Renn on the shoulder, and spoke with real weight behind it.
“I’m going to keep working hard to get you a better setup, obviously!”
She waved and turned to go.
“This is as far as I take you.
I’ll come pick you up in the evening.
If you don’t understand something, just ask Takemikazuchi.”
“…”
In any other Familia, he almost certainly wouldn’t have ended up with a goddess like Hestia, a pretty little thing who took her responsibilities this seriously.
Renn figured he was pretty lucky.
He didn’t linger at the gate.
As he approached the building, which was built in an eastern island style, he noticed the black-haired young man waiting for him there.
His clothes looked like something from those islands as well.
His long black hair was tied into two braids that hung down on either side of his face.
Just looking at him gave Renn a certain feeling.
A god.
“Are you Lord Takemikazuchi?”
“You’re Renn, right?”
Takemikazuchi smiled and nodded.
He carried none of the airs a god might put on in front of a rookie adventurer who happened to share his hair color.
His gentle smile made him look genuinely friendly.
“Hestia told me about you last night.
You’re the first follower she recruited, and a friend asked me personally.”
“There’s no way I could refuse that…”
“So, what kind of martial arts do you want to learn?”
“…”
If he had his pick, Renn would have gone straight for the mage route without hesitating.
But the DanMachi setting didn’t have clearly divided classes like that.
And he wasn’t expecting to get everything at once.
He started thinking about what he actually needed right now.
As a rookie, that meant exploring the Dungeon normally and getting used to an adventurer’s rhythm.
“Lord Takemikazuchi.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure what direction I want to learn in.
As long as I can fight the monsters in the Dungeon and explore it, that’s enough.”
“Then we’ll start with combat fundamentals.”
Takemikazuchi didn’t mind at all.
If anything, he was starting to like this adventurer who looked about fourteen or fifteen but had such a practical attitude.
In all his years in Orario, he’d met plenty of adventurers.
Compared to the ones who wanted to become master swordsmen right out of the gate, Renn’s request was refreshingly plain.
“That’ll be more than enough for simple exploration.”
“Thank you, Lord Takemikazuchi.”
Renn had no complaints about that.
In his old life, signing up for karate or taekwondo classes meant six months minimum.
He couldn’t spend all that time living off Hestia’s handouts.
Efficiency mattered.
…
After a short conversation, Takemikazuchi knew he was dealing with a rookie who had never fought before, and he already had a rough plan for the training.
First came getting used to the weapon, starting with a feel for the blade.
Repeated grip training would build up control over it.
After that came the long grind of strength work for the waist and upper body.
Then the basics over and over: cutting down, slashing, thrusting, tapping, sweeping up, parrying, until each motion became raw muscle memory.
By then, even without much experience, Renn would be able to respond to Dungeon monsters on instinct alone.
Since Hestia had asked him personally, Takemikazuchi took the instruction seriously.
Once Renn was running through the drills without mistakes, he smiled and offered some encouragement.
“Follow the method I’ve taught you.”
“Once you can do it without thinking, things get a lot easier.”
“You’ll at least be able to handle ordinary Dungeon monsters, goblins and kobolds and the like.
Combat technique is something I can’t teach you, though.”
“You’ll have to grind that out through fighting.”
“Thank you.”
Renn meant it.
The way of using a weapon that Takemikazuchi had shown him was about as basic as it got.
There was nothing flashy in it.
But if he mastered it, he’d definitely be able to handle exploring the shallow floors.
“You’re welcome to keep training here.”
Renn was a friend’s follower, after all, so Takemikazuchi added one more thing.
“Come find me any time there’s something you don’t understand.”
“Don’t hold back.”
“I will.”
Renn knew what he could do now, and that was keep putting in the work and make the most of the training Hestia had won for him.
He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the wooden training sword.
Time to grind.
…
“Ugh…”
“How am I supposed to adjust the heat on this magic stone stove?
Why do the potato balls come out black like this?
Is anyone actually going to eat these?”
“…”
The jagamarukun stall on North Main Street.
Hestia stood there in her apron, looking at the charcoal briquettes she’d produced, and started seriously doubting herself.
I’ve ruined all of them!
When Takemikazuchi demonstrated last night, it had looked so simple.
So why did her brain understand it while her hands refused to cooperate?
But there was a line of adventurers waiting in front of the stall.
Hestia had no choice but to grit her teeth and keep trying and failing at jagamarukun.
How she got through those agonizing hours?
She had no idea.
Then in the evening, the translucent panel of the Hero Raising Plan popped up in front of her, and her spirits shot right back up.
[Character: Renn]
[Level: Lv1]
[Mood: 56↑100 (Nervous)]
[Energy: 12↓100 (Exhausted)]
[Health: 98/100 (Excellent)]
[Through basic combat training, Renn’s body is extremely fatigued, but he feels hopeful at the thought of exploring the Dungeon.]
[Renn has unlocked a new skill.]
[Basic Swordsmanship: Lv1]
“Huh?!”