The character I’m raising just got a real upgrade?
Looking at the information the Hero Raising Plan had given her, Hestia felt every bit of the day’s exhaustion from her part-time job wash away.
All that effort had been worth it!
[Basic Swordsmanship: Lv1]
Still, looking at the new skill Renn had picked up, Hestia had the feeling this wasn’t the kind of thing that would get written into a Falna.
It was more like a game panel turning the results of his effort into data.
She couldn’t work it out.
But she knew this would definitely help Renn with his Dungeon exploration later on, and maybe, if he kept working at it, even the level of Basic Swordsmanship could go up.
“So…”
“As long as I find ways to help Renn finish his daily quests, he might keep unlocking new skills?”
At this point Hestia was starting to understand what the Hero Raising Plan really was.
It worked like the animal chess she used to play back in Heaven.
Give resources, help the pieces grow.
Except instead of a board, the game had been moved to Orario, and the pieces had been swapped out for members of her Familia.
“So that’s how it works?”
His energy had dropped.
The cause was obvious, since Renn had spent the whole day on intense swordsmanship training.
What really surprised Hestia was something else.
That was this.
Even with his body worn out, his mood hadn’t suffered at all.
If anything, because he wanted to repay the help she’d given him…
His mood had actually improved!
That thought filled her with warmth.
If she were the only one pouring resources into her follower, and he simply took it all for granted, she’d have been disappointed sooner or later.
But Renn wasn’t like that at all!
A god gives resources, and her follower works hard to repay them.
Wasn’t that exactly the kind of mutual devotion you found in picture books?
And so, with her heart full, Hestia grabbed the jagamarukun she’d fried with great care, which still didn’t look quite right, and bolted.
“Heh heh!”
“Then tonight…
I’ll give you a proper reward~”
…
“Thank you, Lord Takemikazuchi.”
“It was no trouble.”
Takemikazuchi smiled gently.
Remembering the way Renn had spent the day in the courtyard drenched in sweat, practicing over and over, it was hard to dislike him.
If nothing else, it showed what his attitude toward Hestia was.
Yes, he really was a fine kid.
He didn’t forget to add, “If you think you’ve got the hang of fighting, you can try starting your exploration of the Dungeon.”
“The shallow floors aren’t as dangerous as you’d expect.”
“I will.”
Renn didn’t turn the suggestion down.
Mostly because he’d read plenty of trashy novels in his past life, and the stereotype of a goblin was that it was pathetically weak.
Of course, there was also the type that dragged people into caves and took turns breeding with them.
But with the god of martial arts himself giving the advice, Renn felt more anticipation than anything, even if he couldn’t help being nervous about the unknown.
After saying goodbye to Takemikazuchi, Renn planned to follow the route he remembered back to the dormitory.
He’d barely reached the street and looked ahead when he spotted a familiar figure running toward him.
Can someone really run that fast in flip-flops?
Renn was genuinely curious, but he didn’t get time to think about it.
He felt the full weight of a girl slam into him.
Cute loli girls are banned from charging into people chest-first!
Then again.
He could feel that indescribable softness against his chest, and his hands had nowhere to go, because it really was more than he could handle.
That faint scent that belonged only to her kept filling his nose.
“Lady Hestia…”
“Um, is it really okay for us to be doing this?”
“What’s wrong?”
She clearly didn’t think the contact was too intimate.
Because of the height difference, she had to tilt her head up, and her smile was unusually bright.
A moment later, Hestia saw a notification from the Hero Raising Plan.
[Renn feels the weight that belongs to a god alone.
Both his physical and mental fatigue have been effectively relieved.]
[Energy +20]
Cuddling restores energy?!
Though she could understand the feeling well enough.
When she’d seen Renn’s status update earlier, her own exhaustion had melted away too.
[Energy: 32↑100 (Exhausted)]
Did this mean there were other ways to relieve the physical fatigue from his high-intensity training?
“Come on~”
“I’ll walk you back to the dorm!”
Curious about the mystery the Hero Raising Plan had handed her, Hestia acted on it immediately and hooked her arm through Renn’s.
She was the talkative type.
Even though she already knew the answer, she asked, “So how was training with Takemikazuchi today?”
“Mm…”
“Lord Takemikazuchi is a good person.
He was very patient teaching me the combat basics.”
Renn didn’t hide anything.
Maybe it was the Falna system giving him a boost, or maybe this body just hadn’t been ground down by years of office work yet.
He felt full of energy.
He thought about it and answered with a smile.
“I’m definitely a bit tired, but I feel like once I sleep it off, I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
“Also…”
“I kind of feel less tired after seeing you, Lady Hestia?”
“Obviously!”
The girl gave a smug little hum.
Hestia had no intention of telling him about the Hero Raising Plan.
If it was a misunderstanding, then the misunderstanding could just keep going!
…
Back at the dormitory, Renn could feel his clothes sticking to his skin where the sweat had dried, leaving them damp and clingy.
He decided to wash up first.
When he came back, he found Hestia sitting on the edge of the bed with her bare feet on the floor, clearly waiting for him.
She noticed him and smiled warmly, waving a hand.
“Come here.”
“…”
“Lie down on the bed!”
“…”
He didn’t quite understand, but Renn did as she said.
Maybe she was going to update his status.
Except, just as he was about to lie down, he saw Hestia reach out and pat her pale, perfectly shaped legs.
They weren’t skinny sticks at all.
They were a little soft, but nowhere close to heavy, and with her flawless pear-shaped figure…
Unbeatable.
“Renn.”
“You worked hard today!”
Enjoying lap pillow service from a beautiful loli mom, Renn looked up.
Even from that angle, in terms of pure looks, she was perfect in a way words couldn’t cover.
When their eyes met, Renn turned his head aside and decided to change the subject.
“It was all right…
Lady Hestia, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“Mm-hm?”
“I want to go explore the Dungeon tomorrow.
I should be able to earn some money, and that would take a lot of pressure off you.”
“?!”