Miach turned to Bell. "May I ask why you want to be an adventurer?"
"Y-Yes!" Bell tensed at the god's question, speaking faster and louder. "I want a fateful encounter with a beautiful girl in the dungeon!"
Ah, this could be an issue.
"It's a wonderful wish," Miach said with a dry laugh, not wanting to crush Bell's spirit.
"You think it's possible too, Lord Miach?" Bell relaxed, smiling.
"I've longed for those destined meetings between heroes and heroines since childhood. I want to try, so I aim to be an adventurer."
"I advise against such naive expectations," the Chienthrope girl said coldly. "The dungeon holds no such beauties—only monsters and dangers."
Bell flushed, wanting to argue but unsure how.
"Haha, Naaza, don't say that," Miach chuckled, intervening.
"Orario has many female adventurers; maybe such encounters happen."
The Chienthrope girl, Naaza Erisuis, was a Level 2 adventurer and the Miach Familia's captain.
Sadly, despite her presence, the Miach Familia remained poor and understaffed for various reasons.
[T/L: Maybe her physical conditions.]
"Since Roy introduced him, I'll take him in. We're short on hands anyway," Miach agreed.
Bell's face lit up with joy as he bowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Lord Miach! Thank you!"
"Lord Miach..." Naaza sighed.
"I don't mind new members, but we're not a exploration type Familia. This child's ideas are so naive."
"What's wrong with that? Adventurers need some romance. His wish is intriguing!" Miach said casually, smiling.
"And he seems persistent—a key adventurer trait!"
"I won't let you down, Lord Miach!" Bell promised seriously, no longer flustered.
"That's the spirit—full of energy," Miach nodded, pleased. He pointed to the Chienthrope girl.
"This is Naaza Erisuis, our Miach Familia's captain."
"..." Naaza sighed again.
"For combat questions, come to me; I can guide you," Roy told Bell, then bid farewell and left.
Introducing Bell to Freya would yield benefits, but Roy wouldn't stay in this world long-term and needed reliable allies.
The Miach Familia was one.
As the protagonist, Bell's growth potential was high. Placing him with Miach let Roy borrow him anytime.
With Freya, he'd become untouchable.
"Um, Lord Miach, who exactly is Mr. Roy?" Bell asked gratefully after watching Roy leave.
"You don't know him?" Naaza eyed Bell oddly.
"I met Mr. Roy on the street. He saw I'd been rejected by other Familia and brought me here," Bell replied sheepishly.
"Roy Flott?" Miach smiled. "He can rival Level 4 adventurers now and may become Orario's strongest in the future."
The second floor of a high-end restaurant.
From here, one could overlook the bustling street below.
In the window-side private room, two figures sat.
One was Loki, lounging indecently in her chair.
Opposite was someone shrouded in a black robe.
Her slender form suggested a woman—or rather, a goddess.
In such private settings, only fellow gods sat as equals with Loki.
"Loki, you invited me just to drink?" A captivating voice emerged from the robe—lazy, alluring, like a lover's whisper, intoxicating and drawing one to uncover her face.
"It's that Ouranos guy..." Loki grumbled, grabbing a bottle gracelessly, gulping it down before sighing.
"He asked me to see if you'd join our Loki Familia in exploring deeper dungeon floors."
"Not interested," the robed goddess refused flatly.
"Knew you'd say that. You've turned it down plenty before, but old Ouranos won't quit," Loki said, unsurprised, drinking more freely.
Eight empty bottles littered Loki's side; she was tipsy.
"You're drinking more than usual today. Not afraid your stomach will burst?" Unlike Loki's sloppiness, the robed goddess elegantly swirled her goblet, sipping gracefully.
She'd drunk plenty too, her bottle nearly empty.
"Haven't had a drop in days. Finally a chance to indulge!" Loki opened another bottle.
"You don't seem like someone who'd abstain half a month..." The robed goddess sighed. "That's unlike you."
"No choice—lost two months' pocket money to that brat!" Loki eyed her. "Freya, you gonna cover this tab?"
"You lack even this much cash and say it shamelessly?" Freya was speechless; Loki had tricked her into paying.
"But I'm curious: what brat outfoxed cunning you?" Freya asked.
"Haven't heard?" Loki countered.
Roy's arena stir wasn't small; many knew.
"Not interested in dull things," Freya shook her head.
"It's that Hestia's kid..." Loki's tone dripped resentment. As a former trickster god, she duped others—not the reverse.
"No, that stinker!" Loki spotted Roy passing below, excitedly raising her bottle—tempted to smash it on his head.
But unfinished wine stayed her hand; she set it down grudgingly.
"Him?" Freya followed Loki's gaze to the striking pink haired youth.
She auto-filtered Loki's "stinker" to "most outstanding."
Freya's eye was sharp; she picked him out instantly.
"This is..." Freya frowned in disgust at first sight.
Among descended gods, pinpointing the most retained passive skills was debatable.
But for Familia-building benefits, Freya's topped.
Her eyes saw soul purity in lower-world folk.
Purer souls meant greater adventurer potential.
This let her scout talents, claiming them and building Orario's strongest Familia.
Now, this youth's soul was filthy—a sludge pool.
Nearly all lower-world negatives: lust, greed, vanity, pettiness...
"Hm?" Curiosity about Loki's word prompted a closer look.
At the sludge's core gleamed an unseen brilliant gold.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter