Ron was not surprised that Hestia had managed to find a Familia headquarters and a place to settle down; he simply knew that the living environment could not be held to overly high standards.
In other words—
A basement of an abandoned church that could keep out wind and rain, plus a beautiful goddess as a housemate.
What more could one possibly ask for!
However, when Hestia mentioned that she had "found an instructor to guide dungeon exploration," his eyes filled with astonishment. Could this be some kind of special treatment for a new member?
"Um…"
"Is this instructor someone who specializes in dungeon exploration?"
"That's right."
"Basic practical combat skills, how to fight monsters efficiently—he will teach you all of that, so that I can feel at ease about your safety."
After all, considering the kind of "vessel" Ron possessed—
If he were to join one of Orario's powerful Familias, he would definitely be trained as a core member.
Hestia was well aware that she did not have such conditions. She could only, within her limited means, provide some conveniences for his future dungeon expeditions.
When the girl reached this point, she spoke in a relaxed tone: "Let's head to the Familia headquarters first. The environment might be a bit simple, but I believe it will definitely improve in the future. And then—"
"I'll introduce this instructor to you."
"Thank you, Lady Hestia."
Even though the girl had said that "there's no need to say thanks between us," Ron felt that expressing gratitude to someone who took care of him was basic courtesy.
He simply followed in Hestia's footsteps.
But as they walked along the Adventurers' Street toward its far end, he faintly sensed something was off—this was not the route to the abandoned church on West Main Street.
They did not pass the iconic building, the "Hostess of Fertility" tavern.
Instead, they returned once again to the Adventurers' Guild, and only after turning a corner at the end of the street did they arrive at a vast and imposing complex of buildings—the collective dormitories of Orario.
Ron still had some impression of this place.
Although it occupied relatively little space in the original DanMachi work, the War God Takemikazuchi and his Familia had their headquarters established in this very area.
Thinking of this—
He looked toward the girl beside him as if seeking confirmation. "So… we're going to be living here next?"
"Mm…"
"With the Familia just getting started, conditions are limited." Hestia could hardly say that the money for renting the place had all been wages she had drawn in advance from working for her close friend, could she?
She did not quite dare to meet Ron's gaze.
Yet she heard the boy respond with clear anticipation: "To be honest, it's much better than the environment I had imagined."
After receiving Hestia's definite answer, Ron realized that because of his sudden intervention, the storyline had already deviated slightly.
This was not how it was in the original work.
They should have been living in a basement, not moving directly into a collective dormitory.
As for the so-called "instructor," he could guess who it was with his eyes closed—surely that War God Takemikazuchi, who looked extremely poor.
"Ah—"
"I thought you would dislike how bad the environment here is."
Hestia could feel that this was Ron's sincere opinion, and she immediately felt much more at ease. She reached into her bag and took out the keys to the dormitory room.
There were two in total.
One of them was prepared for Ron, because she would be going to work at Hephaestus's weapon shop from now on.
Of course, that was something she absolutely could not say herself.
"It's already very good."
Ron nodded heavily. Compared to the abandoned basement in the original work—
There was not even a place to bathe, and they had to borrow the baths at the Adventurers' Guild. A collective dormitory that could meet daily living needs was simply far better.
Most importantly, there was the War God Takemikazuchi.
A god who did not rely on divine power, but solely on martial skill to rival the strength of a Lv.5 adventurer, personally conducting practical dungeon combat training for him.
A double blessing.
And as a Familia member, the development of the Familia also had to be taken into consideration.
He said seriously, "I believe our Familia's future will definitely not be limited to a collective dormitory. Once we earn enough money, we'll move to a bigger place."
"I believe in you."
In the girl's bright eyes, there was nothing but trust.
After arriving at the rented dormitory room, the overall layout was quite fresh and neat. There was a wardrobe, a storage chest, and near the window stood a desk and chair.
As for the bed, there was only one, along with a sofa that was reasonably soft.
Hestia explained patiently, "Weapons and equipment can be placed in the storage chest. As for resting, it might be a bit cramped."
"You sleep on the bed. I'll just sleep on the sofa."
"And I've already helped prepare all the daily necessities for you!"
Listening to the girl's rambling explanation, Ron felt as though the Hestia before him was practically glowing—especially given her petite, youthful beauty.
This kind of special care truly left him feeling overwhelmed by favor, and he hurriedly said, "Thank you, Lady Hestia, but I can sleep on the sofa."
"Once you truly begin dungeon exploration, it will be very hard."
Hestia rejected him decisively. Thinking of the War God Takemikazuchi who was still waiting for her, she smoothly changed the subject out of habit. "Let's go meet your instructor first."
"You've just arrived in Orario, so you might not know him yet."
"The War God Takemikazuchi—when we were in Heaven, he and I were on fairly good terms. He is a god who governs martial arts and techniques, very formidable."
"I believe that with his guidance, Ron, you will definitely be able to adapt to the dungeon environment."
In fact, Hestia did not even need to introduce him. Among the many gods in the original anime, the one who had left the deepest impression on Ron was Takemikazuchi's bitter, gourd-like face.
According to the current storyline, the War God Takemikazuchi should be working alone at a Jagamarukun stall, Orario's famously poor god.
But the two situations were clearly different.
Their own goddess was like this because she was overly reclusive, which led to laziness and indulgence in food, whereas the War God Takemikazuchi had to shoulder all kinds of daily expenses for an orphanage.
Because of his personality, Ron's impression of the War God Takemikazuchi was actually quite good.
Most importantly, any god who could be on good terms with Hestia would find it hard to have a stance tainted by evil.
Ron felt anticipation toward the adventurer life he was about to begin. "Thank you, Lady Hestia. I won't miss this opportunity."
...
Following the girl's steps, they arrived at a room on the same floor of the collective dormitory. After a light knock, without much waiting, the dormitory door was pulled open from the inside.
What came into view was a tall man dressed in traditional Japanese-style attire, wearing wooden clogs.
Takemikazuchi.
He looked at Hestia standing at the dormitory door, and at Ron behind her, and spoke in an easygoing tone. "Hestia, is this your Familia member?"
"That's right."
"This time, I might… have to trouble you."
"How could it be any trouble."
Takemikazuchi shook his head lightly, his curious gaze examining Ron. "Ron, your patron deity has mentioned you to me. You want to temper your martial skills?"
"Yes, Lord Takemikazuchi."
Ron had absolutely no psychological burden addressing gods whose ages easily started at billions of years as "Lord."
What was more, since he was about to learn combat techniques from Takemikazuchi, it was like a patient facing a doctor—concealing symptoms was the greatest taboo.
Facing the god's gaze, he spoke candidly: "I've never been exposed to… these kinds of things before. I want to know where I should start learning."