"Why are you here?"
The question came out flatter than I intended, but I didn't bother softening it. Ais Wallenstein stood in front of the worn table
She didn't flinch at my tone. If anything, she looked almost… expectant.
Hestia, on the other hand, nearly fell off her chair.
"Eh? Who's this?" she whispered, leaning closer to me while trying (and failing) to look dignified. "She looks strong… but I don't recognize her. Is she famous or something?"
Before I could answer, the entire line behind her erupted.
A ripple of shocked murmurs swept through the applicants like wildfire.
"Wait… that's Ais Wallenstein!"
"The Sword Princess?!"
"No way… what is she doing here?!"
"Is she seriously trying to join this tiny familia?!"
"Someone from Loki Familia… the ace of Loki Familia is standing right there!"
The noise grew louder. A few people in the back even stood on their toes or pushed forward slightly, trying to get a better look.
Whispers turned into excited chatter, and I could already see a couple of obvious spies in the line exchanging quick, wide-eyed glances with each other.
Hestia's eyes widened as she finally caught on from the reactions around her.
"Ehhhh?! Sword Princess?! Loki Familia?!" She nearly shot up from her seat, twin tails bouncing wildly. "Wait, wait, wait— that super famous Level 5 adventurer everyone talks about?! The one who's always in the newspapers?!"
Ais gave a small, polite nod, completely unfazed by the sudden chaos her name had caused.
Hestia's mouth fell open. She looked back and forth between Ais and me, her cheeks flushing with a mix of awe and panic.
I leaned back slightly, crossing my arms as I studied Ais.
"You're already in Loki Familia," I said. "One of the strongest in Orario. What could you possibly want from a brand-new Level 2 familia that barely has a roof over its head?"
Ais met my gaze directly, her voice steady and straightforward.
"I want to get stronger."
Hestia let out a tiny squeak beside me, still processing everything.
"Stronger?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You're already Level 5. You've got Riveria, Finn, Gareth… the whole top-tier Loki crew backing you. Why would you leave them for us?"
"Because you are stronger." She said simply. "I want to know how you did it. I want to become someone who can do the same."
I kept my face calm. It was so… what to say.. Ais.
"And you think joining us will help you with that?" I asked.
She nodded. "If there's even a chance I can learn something from you… or from fighting alongside you… I want that chance."
She glanced briefly at the still-stunned Hestia, then back to me.
"I'm willing to leave Loki Familia if you accept me."
That last part hit like a bomb.
The line exploded again.
"She's really leaving Loki Familia?!"
"For this tiny church?!"
"This is insane…"
Hestia looked like she was about to faint from sheer overwhelm. "L-Leave?! But you're their ace! Loki would never allow—"
"I already spoke with Loki," Ais interrupted calmly, ignoring the growing commotion behind her. "She gave me permission… on the condition that I don't reveal familia secrets. And that I come back if this doesn't work out."
Of course she did. Gods loved drama.
"…Hestia," I said quietly, turning to my goddess. "What do you think?"
"She… she seems sincere," Hestia admitted after a long pause, though her voice was shaky. "And having someone that strong would help us a lot. But… Leon, this is huge. Loki Familia isn't going to just let one of their best walk away without causing some noise…"
Ais shook her head. "There are no strings. Only the conditions I mentioned."
That you know of. The thought stayed locked inside me. Loki was not just some goddess. She was the goddess of mischief. She had not built her familia into one of the strongest in Orario by being nice.
"…Fine." I sighed.
Her presence could actually strengthen us. Ais was not just powerful; she was a living legend in the making. Having her in our ranks, even temporarily, would deter smaller threats and give Hestia real protection once I eventually left this world. If I could guide her growth without revealing my full hand, the benefits might outweigh the hassle.
Hestia let out a shaky breath, then suddenly clapped her hands together, trying to reclaim some dignity despite her flushed face.
"W-Well then! Welcome to Hestia Familia, Ais Wallenstein!" she declared, though her voice cracked a little from nerves.
A small, rare smile tugged at Ais's lips. "Thank you."
=====
That afternoon,
I stood in the middle of the main hall, arms crossed, staring at the three people lined up in front of me.
On the left stood Ais Wallenstein, posture straight as always, golden eyes calm and focused. She had changed into simpler clothes, but the sword at her hip remained, a constant reminder of who she was.
In the middle was a male dwarf. Short, stocky, with a thick brown beard braided with metal rings and arms like tree trunks. He wore heavy leather armor that looked well-used, and his dark eyes watched me with a mix of caution and quiet confidence.
On the right stood a female weretiger. Tall and athletic, with sharp orange-and-black striped ears twitching slightly atop her head and a striped tail swaying slowly behind her. She has amber eyes and some faint claw marks decorated her exposed forearms.
Hestia hovered a few steps behind me, fidgeting nervously but trying her best to look like a proper goddess overseeing her familia.
I let the silence stretch for a moment, studying each of them.
"Alright," I said at last, my voice echoing slightly through the empty hall. "You three made it through the interviews. You are now officially part of Hestia Familia."
I paused, letting the weight of the words settle.
"I want you to introduce yourselves properly. Tell me about yourselves—what you like, your dreams, your hobbies."
The dwarf was the first to speak.
"Name's Brokk Ironfist," he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. "Level 2. I'm a smith by trade and a heavy frontline fighter when the need arises. Been bouncing between small familias for years now. What I like? Good ale, solid craftsmanship, and honest work. My dream…"
He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "To forge something legendary one day. Something that'll still be spoken of in the taverns and workshops of Orario long after I'm gone."
I nodded at his introduction. A veteran smith who knew both the forge and the front lines was rare, at the same time he seemed straightforward, the type who valued honest work over schemes.
There was no reason not to accept him.
Next, the weretiger moved forward, her tail flicking once as she flashed a small, toothy smirk.
"I'm Mira Blurok. Level 4. I specialize in speed and close-quarters combat. I like the thrill of the hunt, running through the Dungeon at full speed, and the satisfaction of a clean takedown. Hobbies?" She shrugged lightly. "Sharpening my claws and finding new ways to push my limits."
On paper, she was exactly the kind of adventurer most familias would fight to recruit.
Which was exactly the problem.
A Level 4 without a familia raised too many questions. In Orario, strength like that rarely stayed unclaimed unless there was a reason, and more often than not, it was not a good one. A spy, a troublemaker, or someone carrying baggage no one wanted to deal with.
I almost rejected her on the spot.
But I let the interview continue.
As it turned out, Mira had once been part of a mid-tier familia that burned itself out chasing glory too quickly. A reckless expedition into deeper floors, a captain too proud to retreat, and a collapse that left most of them dead.
Mira survived.
After that, she chose to remain independent. Not for lack of offers, but because she no longer trusted easily. She preferred relying on her own instincts rather than placing her life in someone else's hands.
Until recently.
Apparently, she saw me fighting in the Dungeon alone and was captivated by my strength.
That was her reason.
After losing her old familia, she chose to remain independent, turning down every offer that came her way. Trust was not something she gave easily anymore, and she had no intention of placing her life in someone else's hands again.
But then she saw me.
A Level 1, fighting alone in the Dungeon, pushing far beyond what should have been possible, facing monsters without hesitation and coming out on top.
That… caught her attention.
Not out of curiosity, but something deeper.
For the first time since becoming independent, she found something worth following.
And as I quietly checked her mind, I confirmed it.
Everything she said was true.
So there was no reason not to accept her.
Still, without a god to update her falna, Mira's status had been stuck at Level 4 for quite some time. Still, judging by her presence, her control, and the way she carried herself, I could tell she had already reached that point.
She was ready.
If anything, she was long overdue for a Level 5.
Ais was last. She remained perfectly still for a moment before speaking in her usual soft, straightforward tone.
"Ais Wallenstein," she said simply. "Level 5." She paused briefly, as if choosing her words with care. "I like… getting stronger. Training. Fighting. That's mostly what I do."
A faint, almost awkward pause followed.
"My dream is to become even stronger. Strong enough to reach the deepest floors… and to understand what lies beyond my limits."
Hestia, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but beam with quiet pride from behind me, her earlier nervousness slowly melting into warm excitement.
"Alright, good. Now that we're all officially familia, let's get a few ground rules straight."
I uncrossed my arms and looked at each of them one by one.
"First — loyalty comes first. No spying, no leaking information to other familias, and no selling us out. If I catch any of that, you're gone the same day. No second chances."
Brokk gave a firm nod. Mira's ears twitched but she didn't argue. Ais just watched me quietly.
"Second — we train hard and we fight smart. I don't care how strong you are right now. If you're in this familia, you keep improving. No slacking."
I paused for a second.
"Third — we look out for each other. In the Dungeon, nobody gets left behind. Outside the Dungeon, we keep things tight. Hestia is our goddess. That means you respect her, and you protect her if anything happens. Understood?"
"Yeah," Mira answered first, her tone light but serious underneath.
"Aye," Brokk rumbled.
Ais gave a simple nod. "Understood."
"Good."
I rolled my shoulders, then allowed a small grin to form.
"Tomorrow, we head into the Dungeon together," I said. "Our first run as a familia."
A subtle shift passed through them, anticipation settling in.
"But for tonight…"
I reached into my inventory and pulled everything out at once.
In seconds, the old wooden table in the middle of the church was covered. Roasted meats, fresh bread, bowls of stew, grilled vegetables, cheese, fruits, and a couple of large jugs of ale and juice appeared out of nowhere. The rich aroma spread through the hall almost instantly, warm and inviting.
Everyone froze.
Hestia's mouth dropped open. "W-What?! Where did all this come from?!"
I waved it off casually.
"Don't worry about that," I said.
I glanced at all of them, the faint grin still on my face.
"We celebrate."
=====
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