Choosing a Familia was a real headache. If he joined the "Loki Familia," his early growth would be rapid, and he’d gain access to a wealth of resources. The downside? It would immediately expose his unique skill—Four-Dimensional Space.
On the other hand, if he chose the "Hestia Familia," getting help in the early stages was out of the question. Everything would have to be built from scratch. The upside? He’d have an adorable, affectionate goddess by his side and could keep his special skill hidden.
Images of Loki and Hestia surfaced in Bell’s mind.
Loki wasn’t the male god of other mythologies, but a flat-chested, red-haired, squinty-eyed girl. She doted on her Familia but had a lewd fondness for women, harboring impure thoughts about her female followers. Though a bit careless on the surface, she was dependable when it counted.
Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, was originally one of the Twelve Olympians and the eldest sister of Demeter, Hera, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—essentially the big sister of Greek mythology. Here, she held the authority of [Eternal Flame], a divine power that kept the sacred fire burning without end. Her rank among the gods was absurdly high. Standing only 140 centimeters tall, she fit squarely into the "loli" category, yet her exaggerated figure—with ample curves—made her the kind of person you simply couldn’t look away from.
"Alright! I’m joining the Hestia Familia!"
After weighing it all, Bell ultimately chose the "Hestia Familia," just like in the original story. Despite its lack of foundational strength, the allure of the "Loli Goddess" was irresistible.
Who could say no to a loli goddess being handed over for free?
This was a straight-up divine blessing!
It was like Tiamat from FGO—who could resist when she said, "My child"? Who wouldn’t want to bury their head in that warm, maternal embrace?
Of course, there was nothing wrong with that sentiment. Tiamat was the mother of all things, after all. But that didn’t stop a devoted child from wanting to give her a future beyond divinity—a taste of a different kind of life.
To be fair, Bell didn’t harbor any bad intentions. His plan was simply to prioritize maxing out his goddess first.
Meeting other girls? Forget it. Hestia was, without a doubt, the best encounter he could ask for.
Having made his decision, he no longer needed to agonize over which Familia to join.
But there was still one more issue: the Goddess of Beauty—Freya.
Freya possessed the ability to see the essence of a person’s soul. No matter how well someone disguised themselves with words or appearances, their soul couldn’t lie.
Bell was worried she might see through him.
But then he reconsidered. He wasn’t as pure and naive as the fourteen-year-old Bell from the original timeline. There was nothing about him worth noticing. He wasn’t the radiant type. To Freya, he probably looked no different from any ordinary person.
And someone like her wouldn’t bother with the ordinary.
"Let’s head into town and gather some intel."
After packing up, Bell threw on a windbreaker and stepped onto the main road, blending in as just another passerby.
As expected, ordinary people rarely ran into trouble. As long as he looked like one of them and didn’t carry too much, he wouldn’t draw attention.
For the final ten kilometers, Bell moved with extra caution.
Pretending to be a regular person was easy. Pretending to be a broke and struggling one... well, that was his reality.
Aside from his windbreaker, he didn’t even have a backpack. If that wasn’t the picture of poverty, what was?
At the fork in the road ahead, Bell spotted several carriages merging onto the main road.
Curious, Bell glanced toward the side road, where a steady stream of carriages was hauling in goods. He couldn’t tell what they were carrying, but judging by how deeply the wheels had sunk into the mud, it was clearly a heavy load.
"Looks like a lot of supplies are still being transported into Orario from outside."
The idea of going into business was tempting. After all, the risks involved were much lower than adventuring.
"If I were smart enough, maybe I could actually make something of myself this way."
But in the next moment, he abandoned that thought. Business wouldn’t let him fully utilize his five-star Craft Essence. More importantly, it required a sharp mind and careful calculation—something he knew he lacked. Bell wasn’t cut out for such complex work with his straightforward thinking.
After that brief fantasy, he accepted reality and moved on.
He pulled his hood lower to hide his face. The last thing he wanted was to attract trouble or be taken as a threat before he had the chance to grow stronger.
Staying to the side of the road, Bell carefully avoided the center lane where the carriages rolled by—and that’s when he caught wind of their conversation.
"This run didn’t go smoothly either. We even ran into a Land Dragon out there—felt like running into death itself."
"No kidding. If we hadn’t hired such a strong team, all our cargo would’ve been shredded under that thing’s claws."
Bell frowned. He knew all too well that anything labeled "dragon" was far from an ordinary monster.
He perked up his ears, listening intently.
"Thank the gods it wasn’t a Wyvern. If it had been, we’d all be dead."
"You’re overthinking it. Just running into a Land Dragon was already freakishly unlucky. What are the odds of us bumping into a Wyvern too? Do you know how rare those things are?"
"True. Wyverns aren’t nearly as common. Land Dragons can reproduce quickly, but Wyverns? Not so much."
"Land Dragons and Wyverns... this world really is dangerous no matter where you go."
"Without strength, you can’t survive anywhere. One unlucky encounter with a monster out there and you’re dead before you even get a chance to grow."
Bell let out a silent sigh and turned his attention to the group of mercenaries ahead.
They had shed their gear, wearing only thin outer layers. Bandages were wrapped around their heads, hands, and legs—clear signs of a brutal fight.
He didn’t know how strong they were, but if even a group like that took such damage from a Land Dragon, it definitely wasn’t an easy fight.
"Dragons really are legendary beings no matter the world. If they could be taken down easily, they wouldn’t be called that."
"Compared to the unpredictable dangers outside, the Dungeon really is the most suitable place for me."