"Misha, can I join a god who doesn't have a Familia? There are two or three gods like that listed in the booklet you gave me."
"...." After a moment, Misha finally spoke, her lips twitching as if she didn't know whether to sigh or laugh.
"Quinn-san, you really know how to pick the most unconventional choices."
"Hahaha." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and waited for her to continue.
"Yes, you can," she said at last. "But you'll need to personally ask the god if they're willing. They don't have a Familia because they weren't interested in forming one."
She paused briefly before adding, "If they agree to give you their blessings, you can be registered as an adventurer."
"Also, even if you're the only new member, the Familia still needs to be registered with the Guild. It's not difficult, just some paperwork."
"Thank you." I nodded. "Do you know where this god is currently staying? I'd like to try with them first."
I opened the booklet and showed her the god I had chosen.
"Hm?" Misha leaned in, then froze.
"Hm? Uh… umm… Are you sure you want to choose that goddess as your patron deity?" Her expression shifted repeatedly, frowning, nodding, hesitating, then nodding again.
Sigh.
She let out a long sigh before speaking. "It's your choice. You can find that goddess in the Daedalus Street. Go to the central plaza of Daedalus Street and ask around. Anyone there should be able to point you to Them."
....
Finding the entrance to Daedalus Street was easy. Anyone I asked pointed me in the right direction.
But once inside, chaos greeted me.
Streets crisscrossed in every direction, connecting one another in a confusing maze. Some buildings were constructed on staggered levels, where the first floor of one aligned with the rooftop of another.
The buildings were packed tightly together, creating countless narrow alleys. In each alley, groups of people loitered, their gazes sharp and unsettling, as though they might jump at anyone unfortunate enough to wander in.
Finding the central plaza here was far more difficult.
The people I tried to ask merely pulled their clothes tighter and hurried past me without a word.
....
By the time the sun reached its zenith, I felt a bit more weaker.
Still, I eventually found the central plaza. Seeing the statue of an unknown man in the center, mentioned by Misha as the plaza's landmark, I confirmed I had reached the correct place.
While looking around to find my target, I witnessed an incredible spectacle.
A group of people were emptying their pockets, handing over all the money they carried to a woman standing before them.
She looked old. Her white hair was unkempt, and the rags she wore could barely be called clothes. Yet despite her age, her face didn't have a single blemish.
Most striking were her sharp green eyes. They were far too clear, far too piercing, to belong to a mortal of her age.
I had come to meet Goddess Penia, also known as the Lord of Daedalus Street, at least according to the booklet, and according to the two unlucky individuals who had tried to pickpocket me earlier.
From what I'd heard from those two, the goddess had lived in Daedalus Street for centuries. She gathered offerings from her slightly wealthier followers and distributed the excess among the poorer ones.
Her motto was simple: Riches are harmful to oneself.
The perfect goddess for me to approach.
....
"Both the people and the gods of this city seem to think of a Familia as some kind of family, an unbreakable bond between a god and their Familia members," I said carefully. "But why cling to the idea that it has to be a family?"
"Why not think of it as an employer and an employee?" I continued. "You grant your blessings, and in return, they work for you."
I took a short breath before speaking again.
"Or in your case, Goddess Penia, you give me your blessings and allow me to take the name of your Familia. In exchange, I'll provide enough offerings so that none of your followers have to starve. You wouldn't have to bear that burden anymore."
I paused, watching her reaction.
"Think about it for a while and let me know your answer. I'll be walking around the plaza."
Leaving behind a stunned goddess who was still processing my words, I turned away and walked toward the statue at the center of the plaza.
Even as I moved, my heart refused to calm down, racing hard as the events of just the past few minutes replayed over and over in my mind.
....
A few minutes earlier.
Seeing the last of the people walk away after offering their money, I approached the white-haired old woman, Goddess Penia.
"Greetings, Lord of Daedalus Street, Goddess Penia, I-"
I was interrupted when she abruptly stretched out her hand.
"?"
Noticing my confusion, the goddess spoke calmly. "You're a new face here. So how much are you offering? Or were you moved by my teachings and wish to surrender all your wealth?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Feel free to give me everything you have."
"…?" For a brief moment, doubt crept into my mind.
'Was this really the right choice?'
"Ahem." I cleared my throat. "Goddess Penia, no. I didn't come to give offerings, nor to surrender my wealth."
"My name is Quinn. I recently arrived in Orario and wish to become an adventurer. I visited several Familias, but none accepted me."
"The Guild recommended you, so I came to ask-"
"Stop." Her voice cut through my words a second time.
Only now did I notice the change.
Penia's back had straightened. The air around her felt heavier, suppressed. The frail old woman vanished, replaced by a dignified presence befitting a goddess.
"Only your name and the fact that you recently arrived in Orario were true," she said sharply. "Everything else was a lie. Do not attempt to deceive a god."
My heart skipped a beat.
'How did she know? And how did she know exactly which parts were lies?'
My thoughts raced.
'Is it a bluff?'
No. Her eyes held no uncertainty.
No matter how I look at it, only one conclusion fits.
This goddess is a walking lie detector.
The realization sent a chill down my spine. Instinctively, my hand moved toward the gun at my waist.
I stopped myself at the very last moment, forcing my hand still with sheer willpower.
Penia's gaze never left me.
Drawing a weapon now would be foolish. I still didn't know whether divine beings were truly powerless, or merely pretending.
Instead, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small booklet, opening it to the page detailing Penia.
"I read about you," I said carefully. "From the Guild's booklet, and from two people I ran into earlier. About how you've lived here for centuries, and how you care for the people of this district."
I chose every word with extreme caution. Not outright lies, but not the full truth either, simple half-truths.
The simplest way to bypass, or confuse, a lie detector.
"You see, both the people and the gods of this city seem to think of a Familia as some sort of family, an unbreakable bond between a god and their Familia members. But why cling to the idea that it has to be a family?"
It was a delicate line between truth and falsehood. Judging by the stunned look on her face, my words had struck something.
Note to self.
Instead of assuming Goddess Penia alone has lie-detection abilities, assume all gods are walking lie detectors until proven otherwise.
Having met no other gods yet, that was the safest assumption.
"Sigh."
Exhaustion finally caught up to me. I exhaled slowly and turned my gaze toward the statue at the center of the plaza.
The statue was heavily worn. The man's face had eroded beyond recognition.
At the base, a few words were carved:
The creator of Daedalus Street.The Legendary Craftsman Daedalus.
The rest was illegible.
"Quinn-san."
Penia's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Follow me."
She led me to a modest, single-story house and opened the door.
Inside was a sparse living room, nearly empty save for a small table in one corner and a few scattered chairs.
The moment I stepped inside, leaving the sunlight behind, warmth and strength flowed back into my body.
"So it really was the sun…" I noted silently.
"Even though I dislike this arrangement," Penia said, "for the sake of the people here, I will grant you my Falna."
"You may register a Familia under my name."
Her gaze sharpened.
"But you will provide the offerings you promised."
"Goddess Penia," I said without hesitation, "you don't need to worry."
I placed all my money on the table.
"This is all I have right now, 2,250 Valis."
It left me completely broke. But I had already made my decision, and I was looking at the bigger picture.
"In one week," I added, "I'll bring even more."
Penia nodded slowly, speaking, "This alone is a great help. Remember, riches are harmful to oneself."
She then gestured, "Now I'll give you my blessings. Turn around and remove your jacket and shirt."
"?"
Noticing the small knife in her hand, I suppressed my anxiety and did as told, removing my jacket and shirt before turning my back to her.
A faint slicing sound followed. Then the sensation of a single drop of liquid touching my skin.
The next instant, searing pain tore through my mind, and my consciousness plunged into darkness.