On Levi's character panel, visible only to him, the detailed description page for the magic 'The Goddesses' Loving Protection' showed that besides Hestia's protection, which had risen to Level IV due to their passionate night, the one named 'Hephaestus's Inquisitive Love' had quietly risen to Level II following the goddess's own words.
[Current Protections:]
[1. 'Goddess of the Hearth' Hestia's Pure White Love IV: Tremendous boost to mana recovery, tremendous boost to life recovery]
[2. 'Goddess of Beauty' Freya's Distorted Love I: Moderate boost to abnormal mental state resistance]
[3. 'Goddess of the Forge' Hephaestus's Inquisitive Love II: Acquire Development Ability 'Swordsmith (H)', moderate boost to fire resistance]
It was because he noticed this subtle change that Levi wore a complicated expression after hearing Hephaestus's words.
The next second, however, he composed himself, stood up, and bowed to the red-haired goddess sitting opposite him. "Lady Hephaestus, thank you for your investment in me during my time of weakness. In the future, if there is ever a need for my services, I will not hesitate."
"Oh?" Perhaps finding it amusing to tease him, Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. "So you wouldn't refuse if I asked you to transfer to my Familia?"
"Hephaestus!" Hestia's hair stood on end like a startled cat's. She threw her arms around her young boyfriend and declared with a 'fierce' expression, "Levi is mine, and mine alone!"
"Hahaha~" Hephaestus laughed heartily.
She took a few bags of coins from her pack and placed them on the table, then specifically waved goodbye only to Levi.
As she reached the door, the red-haired goddess, who enjoyed teasing her friend but might have been partly serious, suddenly stopped. "So, Hestia, are you sure you don't want to share him? You won't be able to protect young Levi all by yourself."
"No way in hell!"
Hestia picked up her chopsticks and threw them in Hephaestus's direction, only for them to hit the back of the already closed door.
Hephaestus left, leaving behind two hundred million Valis and a trivial mess.
"Hmph~"
Hestia puffed out her cheeks, looking like she was about to get angry if he didn't coax her.
Levi gently hugged his goddess from behind. "Don't be angry. If you get upset, it will only make Lady Hephaestus laugh."
Hestia pouted. "Gods don't get sick."
"Then do it for my sake, alright?" Levi continued to soothe her.
"Levi." At that moment, the twin-tailed goddess suddenly called her only Familia member's name.
"I'm here." Levi rested his head on her shoulder, his tone gentle.
"Back at the Guild... should I not have spoken to you?" Even though she was a goddess, having just tasted the sweetness of love, she couldn't help but feel a little insecure. "If I hadn't invited you, with your personality and your plans for the future, you definitely would have gone to join the Hephaestus Familia. With her power in Orario, you wouldn't have to worry about being bully—"
"But if that happened, I wouldn't have met you~"
Levi interrupted his goddess's hypothesis.
Once he made a decision, he didn't regret it.
Besides...
After a moment's pause, Levi spoke slowly but firmly. "I know I've said it many times, but Hestia, I really do love you."
"I love your black twin-tails that sway in the breeze, I love the cheerful way you invited me while wearing that white dress, I love your warm and motherly embrace, I love how you pant and can't help but whisper my name in bed, and how you step on—"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Seeing Levi getting more and more outrageous, Hestia quickly turned around and pressed her index finger to his lips.
"I get it. I won't say things like that again."
A mischievous smile appeared on Levi's face. "It's fine if you do. It'll just give me another chance to confess. Hmm, it's decided. Next time, I'll do it in Central Park, where Orario's population is densest. The title will be, 'Gentlemen, I love Hestia'."
—You're trying to get me ostracized by all the other gods!
Fearing what other shocking things might come out of her Familia member's mouth, Hestia quickly changed the subject. "The money Hephaestus gave us, how are you planning to use it?"
Hearing this, Levi didn't give a direct answer, or rather, he couldn't be bothered to think about it right now.
"As we all know, life has two fundamental instincts: the appetite for food, and the appetite for... well, you know."
"Huh?" Hestia didn't understand why the young man before her was suddenly discussing philosophy.
But she quickly found out why.
"Right now, my hunger has been sated."
"Ah!"
With the goddess's cry, the grand chorus of life once again echoed through the church.
...
Having tasted the forbidden fruit for the first time, both Hestia and Levi found themselves somewhat addicted.
It was only because the blue-ribboned goddess hadn't forgotten about her job at the old bookstore; otherwise, she might have battled with her Familia member for three days and three nights.
Minding the old bookstore was a hobby of Hestia's—more accurately, it was because she loved to read for leisure.
Even now that the Familia had money, she never thought of quitting and slacking off.
As for Levi, it went without saying. Until he had grown strong enough to face any crisis in the lower world, he couldn't possibly stop his journey to become stronger.
"Well then, Levi, I'm heading out~"
On the morning of the third day after his level-up, Hestia, dressed in her work clothes, gave Levi a farewell kiss at the door.
"Also, remember to come back early tonight."
"Yeah, I will."
After watching the twin-tailed goddess's figure disappear into the distance, Levi closed the main door.
He then began to study the Lv.2 card pool he had been neglecting for two days.
Compared to the Lv.1 pool, the contents of the Lv.2 permanent and event pools were much richer.
This was especially true for the permanent pool, which was born from the world of DanMachi itself. Unlike the standard pools in the online and mobile games of his past life, which were only useful for early-game transitions, this one was absolutely worth investing in, even for repeated pulls, as it mostly contained useful skill books.
That being said, Levi still chose to focus more of his attention on the event pool.
The reason was simple: the permanent pool wasn't going anywhere. As long as he had enough Valis, he could pull from it anytime.
But the event pool was a limited-time offer; it was a now-or-never opportunity.
In fact, if he hadn't pulled the Vision—an item that could pique the interest of a god like Hephaestus—from the Genshin Impact Lv.1 pool, and subsequently traded a look at his Sky-Piercing Sword for two hundred million Valis, Levi's current development would have been severely restricted.
And in the Lv.2 pool, there would only be more good things like the Vision!
_____
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