Ron
Level: Lv1
Strength: D553 → C680
Endurance: D580 → B701
Dexterity: D529 → C639
Agility: D536 → C624
Magic: H101 → H130
...
The speed at which her familia member's strength was increasing had already reached a level this young goddess could not possibly comprehend. All Hestia felt was a dizzying blur of numbers.
And then—
Ron's individual ability values had already reached heights that the vast majority of Orario simply could not hope to attain.
'Other than amazing, I really can't think of any other way to describe it…'
Most crucially, it hadn't been very long at all since Ron's days as a rookie adventurer. Not to mention Orario—looking across the entire world—
This was something utterly unreasonable, wasn't it?!
Could it be that—
The very first familia member she had happened to pick up from an alleyway was the equivalent of drawing a UR in a gacha? A seed with the greatest potential for becoming a "hero" in all of Orario?
At that thought—
Hestia froze for a moment.
While she felt delighted, worry inevitably surfaced in her heart. Ron was truly outstanding, and this talent of his would sooner or later be noticed by other gods.
What would she do when that time came?
"Ron, perhaps you really do possess the potential to become a 'hero'…"
After sighing softly, Hestia took the parchment and carefully transcribed his ability values. To be safe, she also sealed Ron's status.
Only a god could forcibly break it.
Ordinary adventurers, however, would be completely unable to fully decipher Ron's ability values or skills through the divine script engraved on his back.
This was one of the few methods of concealment she could think of.
"Becoming a hero…"
"I've never really thought about that. It feels far less important than improving my strength."
The magnitude of the increase in his ability values was largely within Ron's expectations.
After all, the strength of Soulslike special monsters was right there. Being able to handle battles approaching the surface-level strength of Lv2 was, at most, a return earned through effort and sweat.
If not for the existence of the Killer Ant—
By proceeding step by step through normal exploration, he was confident that within at most half a month, he could raise all of his ability values to their theoretical limits!
"That's exactly the right way to think…"
Hestia had been worried that such rapid growth in strength over a short period might cause Ron to lose his focus, but now it seemed her concern was completely unnecessary.
A familia member with a mature and steady personality really was the best!
She sat on the edge of the bed, lightly swinging her fair, slightly plump yet not at all bulky legs, when she noticed Ron's gaze resting on her face.
The young goddess recalled the moment of their first meeting.
Just after arriving in Orario, the dream Ron carried in his heart—Hestia, softening her tone, did not ask about what was troubling him at the moment.
She spoke quietly: "What do you think our future will be like?"
"I haven't thought about it."
Ron could, of course, read the meaning hidden within those words.
More precisely, compared to the turmoil that the future might truly bring, the Soma Familia was hardly dangerous at all. As for how to respond to Hestia—
After thinking for a moment, he answered with firm conviction.
"But I know this—the future has to be forged with sword and fist. Simple and clear!"
...
Even though she had already given up her identity as an adventurer and was living a relatively peaceful working routine in a restaurant under the name "Ryuu Astrea," that did not mean Ryuu had neglected her own training.
Early in the morning.
Just as usual, she woke up early and first made her room spotless, arranging every item neatly.
Only then did she prepare to begin today's warm-up training.
Recalling yesterday's agreement, she specifically found two wooden training swords, one of which she even wrapped in cotton cloth, precisely to prevent accidentally injuring Ron.
Standing in the tavern's backyard, the young woman looked toward the alley not far away and frowned slightly.
"Will he really come?"
When facing Ron, Ryuu had a feeling she could not quite put into words. Because of her elven lineage, she could only allow physical contact with those she acknowledged.
He really was very special.
As for the exact reason, the girl herself could not figure it out.
And just as Ryuu was beginning to think that the so-called "seeking guidance" had merely been an offhand pretext, the figure appearing at the other end of the alley caught her attention.
Ron was really easy to recognize.
Short black hair, paired with an attractive face marked by well-defined features—and most importantly, the temperament that emanated from him.
There was a kind of… steadiness, different from youthful high spirits?
Yet at times, his behavior could be extremely reckless. It could not really be called troublesome—only that when Ryuu recalled the scene of "starting a date the moment they met," her mood became a little hard to hold together.
"Good morning, Senior Ryuu."
"Mm."
The elven girl nodded without changing her expression. After the destruction of Astrea Familia, it had been a long time since Ryuu had so formally guided a newcomer like this.
She tilted her head slightly and asked calmly: "Regarding the special training you mentioned, I'd like to know your basic situation."
"I haven't been an adventurer for very long. I'm currently stuck on Floor 7, but what I mainly want is to grasp… techniques related to actual combat with other adventurers."
Ron answered without hesitation.
At present, the Killer Ant that was causing his progression to stall should be something he could contend with once his customized equipment was finished and he was fully armed.
Since it was rare to receive guidance from Ryuu, who was at Lv4, of course he wanted to learn her practical combat experience against other adventurers.
And upon hearing the true training request, Ryuu's brows knitted slightly. Having become an adventurer not long ago yet already reaching the area of the 7th Floor—viewed from a newcomer's perspective, that was indeed a passing level.
What made her curious, however, was why a rookie would need to master techniques for fighting other adventurers.
Her keen intuition told Ryuu that perhaps the difficulties Ron mentioned were not due to monsters being hard to deal with, but rather stemmed from other adventurers.
Since she had agreed to his training request, she had to take it seriously.
She thought through the specifics, then finally said in a low voice, "Then next—what you need to do is use any means necessary to touch me with the wooden sword."
"Even if you win, combat between adventurers is impossible to hold back. You need to be prepared to get injured."
"No problem."
This was practically exactly what he had been hoping for!
Ron nodded decisively, reaching out to firmly catch the wooden sword Ryuu tossed to him. After pulling back slightly to create some distance, he adjusted his breathing, his eyes filled with focus.
A fight in the truest sense of the word.
And against Ryuu, who bore the title "Gale."
He could already feel the surge of adrenaline. The intense fighting spirit caused his body to tremble slightly—this was not fear brought about by a gap in strength.
It was his body craving battle!
Ron bent forward slightly, skillfully gathering strength in his legs. As he released it—gripping the wooden sword with both hands, he launched himself forward toward Ryuu.
With Lv1 strength, he did not believe that attacking with full force would be enough to injure her.
Although a wooden sword could not store momentum to unleash the effect of Bloody Slash, this kind of wide-range draw slash was perfect for an initial probe.
"Then… please guide me, Senior Ryuu."
"…"
The girl said nothing.
She simply watched Ron rapidly sprint toward her, lowering his posture to charge a draw slash. By instinct honed through a long adventuring career, she casually raised her training sword and completed the block.
Bang!
A dull sound rang out as the training swords collided.
Just as Ryuu was about to counterattack, she discovered that Ron had already rolled away to rapidly widen the distance—so what exactly was this… bizarre fighting style?
However, what truly surprised her was the thrusting speed this guy had just burst out with!
"Interesting…"
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