"Unreasonable skills," Hestia said, her voice heavy with awe and unease.
A single skill spawning seven branches—Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth—was unprecedented.
Each branch alone rivaled rare skills coveted by adventurers, but the first three stood out as particularly outrageous.
Pride's effects were aptly named—arrogant enough to shatter the gods' millennia-old understanding.
Immunity to mental interference and detection was standard, but ranking without excelia and updating with any god were game-changers.
Normally, only a Familia's god could update Falna, and ranking up required feats like surviving dire peril or defeating stronger foes.
Pride bypassed these, diluting the gods' authority.
Pride rendered her her role.
Gods earned reverence in Orario by granting Falna, but Pride let Roy operate independently.
"Roy, you won't leave me, will you?" Hestia asked, her voice tight with nerves, eyes pleading.
"Why ask?" Roy said, smiling.
"It's just… that skill…" Hestia faltered, unsure how to articulate her fear.
Pride meant Roy could ask any god to update status, freeing him from the Familia structure to forge his own path.
Would he need her only for her goddess charm?
"Don't overthink it," Roy said gently.
"Where would I go without you? Worried about Pride?"
Hestia nodded, sheepish.
"Hestia, you know why I joined your Familia," Roy said.
"Even setting aside my initial reasons, our time together's shown you're the perfect god for me."
"I'll never leave you!" Hestia blurted, fervent.
"Then what's the worry?" Roy shrugged.
"You're not just a status-updating tool to me—you're family, someone I want to share my life with."
"You're the best!" Hestia cheered, her unease swept away, hugging Roy tightly from behind, her softness pressing against him.
Roy stayed still, feeling the embrace.
"Hestia, I'm a healthy guy, you know."
"What's wrong? Family hugs are normal, right?" Hestia teased, not letting go.
"You're quick with words now, but you were fretting a second ago," Roy grumbled.
"Just got nervous," Hestia admitted, grinning shyly.
"That absurd skill would shake even Hephaestus."
"Don't drag her into this," Roy said, shaking his head.
"Seven Deadly Sins fits me perfectly, though," Roy said, studying the paper, a lightness in his chest.
Pride's independence and Greed's accelerated growth made his three-month level 5 goal feasible.
"Skills reflect your inner desires," Hestia said, teasing.
"In Heaven, I learned a bit about the Seven Deadly Sins."
"Mortals and gods alike carry these desires, but for you to awaken them so vividly—that's a first."
Her face dimmed suddenly, and she smacked Roy's back.
"What's that for?" Roy asked, unfazed by her light hit.
"Dunno, just annoyed!" Hestia growled, teeth gritted.
Lust's prominence hinted at Roy's strong inclinations, amplifying her unease after Tiona's arena flirtation.
A crisis loomed in her mind.
"He should only have eyes for me!" Hestia muttered, glaring.
"Roy, these skills are insanely rare. Don't let them leak, or fun-obsessed gods will come after you," Hestia warned, serious.
"Got it," Roy nodded.
"Use them sparingly to avoid exposure," Hestia continued.
"Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, and Wrath are safer—combat-focused and less unique. Other adventurers likely have similar effects."
"But Pride, Greed, and Lust—never reveal them," she stressed.
"Pride and Greed are passive, safe unless someone sees your Falna. Lust's active charm, though, is trouble. It's top-tier, maybe lower than Freya's."
"You know Freya, right?" Hestia asked.
"Heard of her," Roy said.
"Then you get it," Hestia said, stern.
"If a charm matching Freya's is exposed, we're in deep trouble. Brained gods won't let us be."
Roy feigned confusion. "So, if I use it, I should silence the target?"
"No! Don't use it on other women!" Hestia snapped. "If you must test it, use me."
She puffed her chest proudly. Roy stared, bemused.
The next morning, Roy bid Hestia farewell, bought two gifts, and headed to the Guild.
With Falna secured, dungeon diving was next—to explore and tackle his other quests.
Unlike yesterday, Roy arrived late, around nine. The Guild was quiet, most adventurers already in the dungeon.
"Morning, Miss Eina," Roy greeted, approaching Eina's counter.
"Heading to the dungeon today?" Eina asked.
"By the way, Roy, a colleague mentioned a level 1 in the arena beat Loki Familia's Amazon."
"That wasn't you, was it?" Eina leaned in, whispering after checking for eavesdroppers.
"Probably me," Roy admitted, not denying it.
Eina's eyes widened, a gasp stifled by her hands, barely containing her shock.
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