"Dinner's all packed for you!
"Since the ingredients were going to be thrown out anyway, I'll only charge you 100 valis. But just this once—no other exceptions."
The kitchen quickly whipped the leftovers into a dish that didn't even have a proper name.
There was no separate packaging,
but the portion could only be described as massive—more than enough to fill both Liang Yue and Hestia's stomachs.
As for the price, Mia's generous discount had one main reason:
That last thing Liang Yue had said—
'It's not that I'm fearless. I just don't want to stop moving forward.'
It completely changed Mia's impression of him.
A driven adventurer—setting aside his personal style, his attitude toward exploring the Dungeon was undeniable.
With such resolve…
so long as nothing unexpected happened,
given time in Orario,
he absolutely wouldn't remain some nameless nobody.
She was even looking forward to it—
perhaps she might witness the rise of a new star in the world of adventurers.
Something to add a bit of excitement to her peaceful days.
"Thanks."
Given the sheer portion size,
Mia was basically giving this away for free.
Liang Yue didn't take it for granted—
he cherished every bit of kindness he encountered on his journey.
Holding the gigantic dinner box in his hands,
he didn't forget to give Mia a sincere thank you before leaving.
"…"
Mia waved him off casually,
watching his departing figure.
Even her usually stern face curved into a faint smile as she prepared to close the shop.
Syr, having finished all her chores as instructed,
noticed Mia's rare, genuine good mood.
She walked over to the bar counter in curiosity.
"Mama Mia, you look… happy?"
"It's nothing."
"Just met an interesting adventurer."
Mia shook her head.
Though Liang Yue had already chosen his own path,
from the bottom of her heart,
she still hoped he would be cautious.
If she really wanted to see a new adventurer's star rise—
first and foremost…
he had to survive the dangers of the Dungeon.
——
It wasn't until Liang Yue returned to the Familia and opened the 100-valis dinner box
that he understood just how much care had been put into it.
It wasn't really as Mia had said.
The dish, made from "leftover" ingredients,
had noodles as the main staple,
paired with a generous variety of meats for protein.
If this were sold normally…
the price would be at least ten times higher.
"Well now…
I guess I've got a real reason to eat at the Hostess of Fertility from now on."
He quickly made up his mind,
prepared the utensils,
and woke Hestia, who had dozed off on the sofa waiting for him.
Eating well meant sleeping better.
And of course—afterward, he'd need Hestia's help to update his status.
After the past two days of training,
he was also looking forward to seeing the growth in his stats.
His next goal was to venture deeper into the Dungeon.
Groggy from sleep,
Hestia sat up and examined Liang Yue carefully,
relieved when she found no injuries.
Then she noticed tonight's dinner—
both in portion size and variety,
it was clearly much better than the bento boxes he usually brought home.
"Dinner's pretty fancy today?"
"Mm."
Liang Yue didn't hide anything,
telling her about what happened at the Hostess of Fertility—
especially Mia's kindness,
the generous price, the solid portion, and the advice on adventuring.
Repaying kindness was something he believed in deeply.
Even if he couldn't yet,
he would remember such goodwill in the depths of his heart.
"Hestia-sama."
"Let's eat!"
"Alright~ You really work hard, Liang Yue-kun,
bringing dinner back to this useless goddess every day.
I wish I could be more helpful to you."
Her brows arched in a smile,
her tone half-joking.
Feeding a goddess—
Liang Yue actually found it quite satisfying.
His gaze grew focused.
"Hestia-sama, after we eat,
please help me update my status."
"Leave it to me!"
——
Liang Yue
Lv. 1
STR: E497 │ END: D531 │ DEX: E466 │ AGI: E499 │ MAG: I0
Development Abilities: None
Magic: None
Skills: Inner·Ghost Sword Technique, Triple Slash, Moonlight Slash, Backstep Slash (non-essential combat skills do not appear on the back)
——
Hestia's hands were now very practiced as she updated his stats.
But when she picked up the parchment with the final imprint,
her gaze lingered briefly on the numbers.
Even though she had already witnessed his rapid growth,
seeing the new values still filled her with a mix of emotions.
Not shock—
but a deep sense of guilt and heartache
for the child carrying the burden of their Familia's survival.
The only way to raise these stats
was through battles in the Dungeon—
and the real key to big gains was the intensity of those battles.
"What kind of fights… did you go through for this?"
Her brows furrowed unconsciously.
She couldn't even imagine it,
but she knew for certain—
everything Liang Yue had done was for the sake of the Familia.
From the pressure of building a Familia from scratch,
to paying off the debt to Hephaestus today—
it all led to this.
As for the extra skill that appeared,
she didn't pay much attention to it.
What she was thinking about was whether
the heavy burdens on Liang Yue's shoulders
clashed with the reason he became an adventurer in the first place.
"…"
Looking at Liang Yue lying shirtless on the bed,
his back muscles now far more defined after these days of training,
she noticed they remained tense even at rest.
Hestia moved to sit across his legs.
It didn't feel right for the children of her Familia to work so hard
while she, their goddess, simply enjoyed the results.
Once she thought that through,
the tension in her heart eased considerably.
Her slender, pale hands slowly reached out.
Unlike the quick touch last time,
this was a long, deliberate motion.
Her fingers landed on his shoulder muscles,
and because of the close contact with the opposite sex,
Hestia's cheeks gradually turned red.
This was just a massage!
Nothing else!
She reminded herself over and over—
as a goddess who couldn't do much,
this was one of the few things she could do for Liang Yue.
It also lightened the mood.
Her voice even trembled a little as she broke the silence:
"Liang Yue-kun… you've really worked hard lately."
"I find this kind of life fulfilling."
Feeling her clumsy hands,
Liang Yue was a bit surprised—
Hestia, his goddess, was giving him a massage to relax.
Maybe it was just in his head,
but he felt his fatigue slowly melting away.
"I'm just… worried…"
Gradually regaining her usual composure,
Hestia hesitated for a moment before speaking plainly:
"Worried that all these outside pressures will make you forget
why you became an adventurer in the first place."
"Of course not."
His reply was firm.
When she looked at his turned face,
his smile showed no hint of falsehood—
only the genuine thoughts from the depths of his heart.
"I think everything I'm doing right now is worth it."
---
Access more chapters at patreon.com/dzeref887