After putting on a new hair tie, Hestia eagerly showed it off to Roy and happily took his hand as they headed out.
The world of Danmachi, with its medieval setting, lacks modern entertainment facilities.
However, Orario is more than adequate as a dating destination.
After all, dating revolves around enjoying food and drink together.
Since arriving in Orario, Roy hadn't explored the city much, so this was the perfect opportunity to familiarize himself with it.
It wasn't until nine o'clock in the evening that Roy and Hestia returned from their date.
"Hey, I rushed out this time without properly dressing up."
With an apologetic expression, Hestia looked at Roy and added, "I must have embarrassed you. Next time, I'll make sure to dress up properly and make you proud!"
'Can't you come up with something better?'
As a goddess, Hestia's beauty outshone most mortals, even with minimal effort.
Unless she deliberately neglected her appearance, her simplest look was unmatched by those in the lower world.
Her self-criticism was clearly nonsense.
Still, He nodded in agreement, which made her eyes light up with a delighted smile.
After resting for a bit, Hestia urged Roy to shower and update his Status.
"I didn't do much today—just a quick trip to the dungeon—so there shouldn't be much progress," Roy said.
"Updating daily is my duty as your goddess," Hestia replied, patting Roy's shoulder. "If you're tired, lie down on the sofa."
As Roy lay on the sofa, Hestia straddled his waist without hesitation.
[Development Ability]: Blacksmith I, Swordsman C, Mage I, Mystery I
Hestia glanced at Roy's updated Status.
Compared to his previous remarkable increase, today's gains were indeed modest.
But, as Roy had said, he hadn't exerted himself much today, so the slower improvement made sense.
However, when Hestia's eyes fell on the Lust effect within Seven Deadly Sins, which now included an additional description, her expression changed abruptly.
[Lust: After intimacy with the opposite sex, strength increases based on the partner's power. The partner also gains a moderate boost.]
"What the hell?!" Hestia exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Roy opened his eyes, curious.
"Nothing," Hestia regained her composure. "It's just that your basic abilities increase is slow today. It's disappointing."
"I didn't do much. It's normal," Roy replied.
"Roy, you didn't do anything else today besides the dungeon, right? No… special places?" Hestia probed.
"Other things?" Roy thought for a moment.
"I went to the dungeon this morning, came out quickly, and then we went shopping in Orario this evening."
"Oh, and one more thing—on the way back, a thief tried to steal from me.'
"But you know I keep everything in my Space, so she failed. I punished her for it."
His tone was calm. He wasn't lying—he had indeed punished Lili.
He'd disciplined her firmly, making her recognize her mistakes.
Under his guidance, she had abandoned her thieving ways and joined his side.
Moments later, her cheeks flushed.
A new skill effect wouldn't appear without cause. Something today must have triggered a change in Roy's skill.
Lust represented human desire, and considering Roy's affection for her, Hestia concluded she was likely the trigger for this change.
Was it because of our date? she wondered, embarrassed.
How could he have such intense desires? I'm not even ready!
Shyness, helplessness, and a faint, unnoticed spark of anticipation filled Hestia's heart.
She raised her hand and lightly smacked Roy's back.
Roy's heart skipped a beat.
Did she figure it out?
Hestia was fiercely possessive, and calming her jealousy would take effort.
To his surprise, however, she said nothing more.
Instead, she picked up a piece of paper, copied Roy's Status, and subtly erased the Lust effect description.
After her discreet alteration, Hestia showed the paper to Roy.
"As expected, not much growth."
Glancing at his status, Roy noted that as his level increased, the exp gained from monsters diminished.
Though he hadn't spent long in the dungeon today, he had still defeated a fair number of monsters.
In the past, that would have pushed his basic abilities to at least H-rank, but now they hovered around I-rank.
"Hestia, why is there a blank line here? It looks altered," Roy said, noticing an empty space between Lust and Envy.
"Oh, that? I made a mistake while copying and scratched it out. No big deal," Hestia replied, her expression unchanged.
"Alright," Roy said calmly, though he wasn't convinced.
It was highly unlikely for Hestia to make such an error.
She was likely hiding a new effect.
"Roy, you know I'm a virgin goddess, right?" Hestia said, feeling the need to address his skill's implications and discourage him from acting on them.
Many female adventurers, especially Amazons, were open-minded.
If Roy succumbed to temptation and became intimate with another woman, the Lust effect could spiral out of control.
If word of the skill leaked, half the women in Orario might throw themselves at him.
"I know," Roy replied.
"Well… um…" Hestia's cheeks burned as she struggled to continue.
"If you want to… do that with me, you have to wait until we're married."
The words took all her courage to say.
"What?" Roy asked, amused by her flustered state.
"You know, that! You idiot, figure it out!" Hestia smacked his back again, then leapt off him and fled to her room.
After she left, Roy sat up, took out his phone, and snapped a photo of his back, capturing the Status.
Hestia didn't know he could read the divine text. His eyes landed on Lust, and his expression turned odd.
"Isn't this basically a power-boosting skill?" Roy muttered, surprised by the effect. Does this mean I have an excuse to pursue women? He quickly shook his head.
"Tch! If anyone calls me a womanizer, I'll set them straight."
"Who works this hard to get stronger?"
"I'll need to get stronger to keep up physically."
The next day, Hestia left early, claiming she was visiting Hephaestus.
In truth, Hephaestus had roped her into working at her shop, but she'd asked Roy to play along and not expose the lie. Roy had no reason to object.
After Hestia left, Roy headed to Babel.
In a corner of the plaza, he spotted a small figure with a large backpack and a gray-brown cloak obscuring her form.
"Lili," Roy called out.
"Lord Roy," Lili replied, raising her head with a slightly forced smile.
"How long have you been waiting?" Roy asked, giving her a light glance.
"I told you to arrive on time, not early."
"I don't have much else to do, and I'm used to waiting for adventurers here," Lili explained.
"Arriving early ensures I don't miss our meeting."
"Fine," Roy said, then looked her over. "Are you really planning to enter the dungeon in that outfit?"
"What?" Lili glanced at herself, confused. "Is something wrong?"
She always wore this as a supporter.
"I'm taking you to the dungeon to gain Excelia today, likely down to the 20th floor. Are you sure that equipment can handle it?" Roy shook his head.
Avoiding Hephaestus's shop, Roy led Lili to another store.
Ten minutes later, they emerged. Lili's appearance had transformed.
She wore platinum-colored armor, a matching battle skirt, and sturdy combat boots.
"That's much better," Roy said, admiring his handiwork. "Grow your hair out later."
"You style?" Lili asked, eyeing him curiously.
Her new equipment was luxurious but only third-tier, and far pricier than typical gear of that level.
While Roy's taste as an adventurer was questionable, Lili had to admit she liked the look, despite the exorbitant cost.
She'd have chosen stronger equipment for the same price.
As a Pallum, she no longer looked like a gloomy supporter but a noble paladin—likely Roy's intent.
"You'll be a key member of the Soma Familia someday," Roy said seriously.
"As a captain, you need to look the part."
"Yes, I understand," Lili replied, inwardly rolling her eyes.
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