Under Lefiya's grateful yet resentful gaze, Roy finally returned to the surface.
"Udaeus's magic stone and other drop items—I'll leave them to you to handle."
Aside from Udaeus's magic stone, the other drops were exchanged directly at the Guild's counter.
As for drop items, they'd be entrusted to Ais and Lefiya, who could sell them to merchants for top prices.
"No problem. I'll get a great deal this time and deliver your share once it's done," Lefiya said enthusiastically, shouldering a huge backpack filled with magic stones and drop items.
Lefiya glanced at Roy hesitantly. "About... what you mentioned before—could you teach me swordsmanship?"
"Huh? Weren't you dead set against learning from me earlier?" Roy feigned surprise.
"I've realized I can't be so biased," Lefiya replied, her confidence surging as she spoke solemnly. "And you're doing it for my benefit—I can't let your kindness go to waste."
"Ais, are elves this thick-skinned?" Roy asked, turning to her.
Ais shook her head, puzzled.
Lefiya gritted her teeth, her face flushing from Roy's jab, her fists clenching tightly.
"Fine, no issue on my end. Come find me when you have time," Roy said after the tease, nodding without further mockery.
Relieved by his agreement, Lefiya beamed with joy.
She shot Roy a determined look, secretly vowing to master not just concurrent chanting but close-quarters combat too.
That way, she'd become a magic swordsman.
Magic swordsmen were far more versatile than mobile fortresses.
Lefiya had envied them before, but her inability to even grasp concurrent chanting had left her sidelined.
Now, she finally had the chance.
Most importantly, by learning Roy's specialty, she could surpass him once ranked up, push him away from Ais, and train with her instead.
In her mind, Lefiya envisioned a brighter future, a silly grin spreading across her pretty face.
Glancing at each other helplessly as Lefiya lost herself in thought, Roy bid farewell and departed.
"After so many days in the dungeon, Hestia should be home by now," Roy mused while walking.
Before leaving, Hestia had mentioned she'd return after about two days with Hephaestus.
Nearly a week had passed—her stay should be over.
Roy headed straight home instead of Hephaestus's forge.
"Roy, you're finally back!" Hestia exclaimed, greeting him with a warm hug.
Amid her cheers, she leaped onto him, her ample bosom pressing against his chest with a squish, deforming fully.
The sensation highlighted the goddess's allure.
"Roy, I have a gift for you!" Hestia said mysteriously after confirming he was unscathed.
"What gift?" Roy asked, intrigued.
Hestia dashed to her room and returned with a long, cloth-wrapped object, presenting it like treasure.
Roy felt its weight—metallic and elongated.
"A weapon?" he wondered, surprised yet delighted, unwrapping it swiftly.
It revealed a sword with silver-edged blades gleaming sharply.
Near the hilt, intricate runes—divine hieroglyphs exclusive to gods—adorned the blade.
"Try holding it," Hestia smiled.
Roy gripped the hilt with his right hand.
Instantly, a connection surged, as if the sword were an extension of himself.
This intimacy stemmed from Hestia's Falna.
"Hestia, what is this?" Roy asked.
He'd anticipated something when Hestia stayed with Hephaestus, but receiving it stirred surprise and gratitude.
"You wanted a weapon that grows with you, right? This is the Hestia Sword," she replied.
"You even named it?" Roy chuckled.
"Of course—I came up with it when asking Hephaestus to forge it," Hestia said proudly.
"How did Hephaestus agree? She refused sternly before," Roy queried, suspecting a catch.
"You underestimate me," Hestia huffed triumphantly. "Hephaestus and I are old friends. She couldn't refuse my plea."
"Is that why you stayed longer?" Roy asked.
"Forging such a weapon takes time—I had to help!" Hestia nodded.
"What did she demand in return?" Roy pressed.
Hestia looked guilty, forcing a smile. "Of course—she wants me to visit more often."
"Visit her?" Roy's expression turned odd.
"Don't judge by her Familia's grandeur; she's lonely. As a forging goddess, she lacks girlfriends," Hestia explained, averting her eyes. "My heavenly best friend descended too, so she wants my company."
"Didn't she nearly kick you out?" Roy teased.
"That was to push me to adapt and find a Familia!" Hestia waved dismissively. "Anyway, that's it. I'll visit her days and return nights."
"Enough about me," Hestia changed topics. "Shower first, then Falna update—you haven't done it alone, right?"
"As agreed, that's my home privilege—even you can't take it!"
Roy nodded, showered, then let Hestia update his Falna.
[Development Ability]: Blacksmith I, Swordsman C
"As expected, you've hit Lv.2's limit," Hestia sighed admiringly.
She'd guessed his dungeon stint, plus his aptitude, would cap Lv.2 quickly upon return.
"You even awakened magic this trip!" Hestia noted curiously, unphased by his maxed stats due to greed.
Memory-based magic, chantless.
Replicates memorized magics within limits.
Requires full mastery of effects and chants.
Boosts magic effects.
Delighted yet surprised, Hestia said, "This means you can learn any magic type?"
"Should be," Roy nodded.
"That's my Roy—even magic slot limits can't bind you," Hestia beamed. "And you awakened a new skill!"
"New skill?" Good news piled on—weapons, skills.
"This skill..." Hestia's expression turned odd as she handed the Falna transcription.
Swiftly comprehends all operational laws.
"So few effects," Roy noted, contrasting Seven Deadly Sins' abnormalities.
"Roy, gods are called omniscient and omnipotent," Hestia began.
"Omniscient?" Roy's face quirked.
"Of course, not literally—we just achieve much mortals can't," Hestia clarified.
Sealed in the lower world, divine power vanished, leaving "omniscience" diminished.
"This so-called omniscience..." Hestia fetched a board game from a drawer—left by the home's prior owner, akin to chess but distinct.
"I've never played this," she set up. "But against a player, I'd grasp rules instantly via moves, reaching champion level without explanation."
"Ultra-fast deduction and computation?" Roy asked.
"Accurate, but our omniscience is broader," Hestia nodded. "It's boring, so gods forget it deliberately."
Gods descended for entertainment and unknowns; omniscience dulls that.
"Your skill mirrors ours. Whether you have our full omniscience is unclear," Hestia analyzed. "Paired with Arcs Magica, it'll shine."
Roy agreed, envisioning Omniscient's broader applications beyond magic.
"Now, choose your next development ability," Hestia smiled. "Three options: Mage, Mystery, and Hunter."
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter