"Finally, it's your turn, Adam." Soma looked at him, a small magic circle appearing on his index finger, "The reward I mentioned before — I'll now bestow my blessing upon you."
"Yes, thank you, Lord Soma." Adam bowed gratefully.
Initially, he had pursued the Blessing of the High Gods merely to satisfy his collector's mentality. However, after enduring the trial of divine wine, his enthusiasm had waned.
He had discovered that blessings varied significantly in their effects. Not all High Gods could offer protection like Aqua, whose blessing had saved him countless times. This realization left him rather indifferent to receiving new blessings.
Yet to his surprise, Soma's blessing instantly matched Aqua's in power.
"What's this?" His eyebrows rose slightly.
Soma explained, "You've noticed it too, haven't you? Blessings differ in strength. But since you've undergone the trial of divine wine, your compatibility with my blessing is higher than with other High Gods."
Understanding dawned on Adam. The differences between blessings stemmed not only from the Gods' strength but also from their compatibility with the recipient.
It made sense. His close relationship with Aqua — sharing meals and living space, receiving her blessings each time he crossed worlds — had naturally strengthened their compatibility.
"Alright, you should leave now."
The reclusive Soma dismissed his guests promptly after distributing rewards and punishments, showing no interest in Hestia's attempts to discuss revitalizing weaker Familias.
His dismissive attitude angered Hestia. After all, her Familia had just triumphed over Apollo's — why was she being treated with such disregard?
Still, they had achieved their objective, so there was no reason to linger. Everyone departed.
Though this matter appeared concluded, rumors spread rapidly throughout Orario — tales of a priceless maiden, a hero saving his friend, and the kindling of the Labyrinth City's flames of war.
The Gods of the weaker Familias, who had pressured Hestia to back down during the Denatus only to face her strong rebuke, now speculated whether this rising Goddess would challenge them one by one.
After all, the Soma Familia had been the first to pick a fight. Looking at the timeline, they had even tried to undermine Hestia before the War Game began.
Yet none of this concerned Adam and the others.
At that moment, they were relaxing and enjoying themselves in the Hestia Familia's base — a dilapidated church.
Hestia, channeling her inner Loki, playfully attempted to lift Lili's top to mark this pallum girl in her own image — and right in front of everyone, no less!
But Lili didn't object. Under Hestia's earnest gaze and Bell's expectant look, she shyly exposed her back to receive the distinctive hearth mark of the Hestia Familia.
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"Congratulations, Lili."
"That's wonderful, Lady Lili."
Everyone offered their blessings.
This pallum girl, who had done so much for Bell and the Familia, finally joined their warm family. Surely, better days lay ahead.
But the day's events weren't over yet.
The War Game with the Apollo Familia had concluded, Adam had proven his innocence, and most importantly, his proficiency had reached its peak. The time had come to increase his Rank.
"Adam, lie down here."
Following Hestia's guidance, he obediently lay face-down on the sofa, exposing his back.
Warm divine blood dripped onto his back. Light flashed again, nearly blinding Bell and the other onlookers.
A moment later, the light faded. His strong back revealed his stats.
"Adam, I'll increase your stats now, okay?"
"Please do, Lady Hestia."
At his request, Hestia manipulated the void, converting his proficiency status into High Excelia and completing the process.
The light faded, completing the upgrade.
Adam had reached Level 3!
"Here, another SSS-rank promotion. Honestly, I'm not even surprised anymore." Hestia said, handing him the parchment.
Despite her previous enthusiasm about Adam's achievements, his constant surprises had dulled her sense of anticipation.
Was this the price of too much happiness?
Hestia appeared both pleased and annoyed, having mastered the art of humble-bragging as a Goddess.
"Hmm, basically no changes... huh."
Examining the text displayed, Adam discovered two new blessings — Wind and Moon — added under his skill〚Last Hope〛.
In that moment, he knew all his previous hardships had been worth it.
Seeing the eagerness in their eyes, Adam handed them the parchment.
It didn't matter — none of Bell's group could read the text anyway, and all values had reset to {I0}.
They only wanted to see one thing: his rank. Below his name, that gleaming Level 3 proclaimed him a Second Class Adventurer.
Everyone showered him with praise and envy.
"That's incredible... Adam, you're amazing!"
Considering his achievements, they marveled that he was only Level 3, calling him an otherworldly monster.
Adam responded by flicking each of them on the forehead as punishment.
"Alright! Lili has joined the Familia, and Adam has reached Level 3!" Hestia stood before everyone, paused briefly, then exclaimed, "Let's celebrate! Let's feast!"
"Yeah!" Everyone cheered in agreement.
After tidying up, they headed to the Hostess of Fertility.
The choice was obvious. As Captain, Bell naturally chose this highly regarded tavern as their destination. Everyone happily agreed — after all, the place was excellent.
Upon entering, they saw Syr, the gray-haired maid, smiling as she served customers.
Adam noticed she seemed particularly cheerful today.
"Ah! Adam! You're here!" Syr quickly approached upon seeing him.
At her flower-like smile, Adam recalled her notoriously inedible cooking and took a few steps back. If only he weren't worried about causing a scene, he would have dealt with her mysterious culinary experiments long ago!
Despite his inner turmoil, he managed a polite smile and greeting.
"Long time no see, Miss Syr."
"Yes, long time no see." Noting his wariness, Syr maintained professional courtesy as she led everyone to their seats in the main hall.
As Orario's most celebrated Familia of the moment, their arrival sparked immediate excitement among the tavern's patrons.
"That's the Hestia Familia!"
"What?! Then that one in white must be the Hero Adam Carter?!"
"So handsome! I want to join too!"
"Look! The little girl next to him is the spirit!"
"I heard she's the source of his incredible power!"
The crowd's admiring, envious, and yearning gazes focused primarily on Adam and Beatrice.
Bell and the others, unaccustomed to such attention, grew stiff and hesitant. Hestia had to guide them one by one to their table.
Unlike her companions' discomfort, she carried herself proudly, clearly enjoying the atmosphere.
Until Syr approached their table with menus.
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