Returning to the familia's residence, Hestia had not yet come back. Looking at the magic tome placed on the table, Liang Yue fell into brief contemplation.
This couldn't possibly be a coincidence!
To just go out for a meal and happen to pick up a magic tome worth several million valis—he wasn't conceited enough to think this was just good luck.
One could even say this was a deliberate, targeted "feeding."
The only ones who currently knew his detailed status parameters were: his own goddess, Hestia; the god Uranos, behind the Adventurers' Guild; and beyond that, Liang Yue couldn't think of any other possibilities.
The plot had already deviated—Bell had smoothly joined Freya Familia and contracted "Kazan Syndrome," so it would be hard for Freya to take any interest in him.
It couldn't possibly be some "fastest to reach Level 2" reward, right?
"…Feels like there's no point dwelling on this."
Clearing away his tangled thoughts, Liang Yue knew that this tome could greatly compensate for his weak magic stat—becoming a true "stat monster."
That would mean having all stats at SSS rank.
After these days of training, his magic stat hadn't budged at all. Even visually, it was an obvious shortcoming.
Magic and skills were the keys to deciding a battle's outcome.
The former had limited acquisition routes—unless you were like Haruhime and came with it innately, the only way to learn was through one-time-use magic tomes.
Thanks to the Sword Soul template providing him with skills, he had no shortage of combat methods.
But with a completed magic ready to be learned right in front of him, Liang Yue felt that not learning it would almost be an insult to the one secretly feeding him from the shadows.
Gaining abilities outside the Sword Soul system could be considered trying something new.
"…Alright then."
With an uneasy feeling, he picked up the tome. He more or less knew the process for acquiring magic—the first step was having a clear goal in mind.
Attack-type techniques, he already had enough.
What he needed most right now was endurance in battle. This world had no MP gauge— even the sword aura unleashed with Ri-Ghost Sword Techniques consumed his own stamina.
The magic he wanted was simple: something that would reduce stamina consumption while also increasing sustained combat damage—nothing but a boost to his strength.
…
Having already outlined the desired effect, Liang Yue flipped through the tome, tailoring the magic to match his earlier vision.
He mentally repeated the design to himself again.
The process was brief; he didn't even feel anything. The ancient-looking book dissolved into warm light and faded away.
"So… I'll have to wait until my status is updated to see the final result."
Tomorrow's plan was to train in the dungeon—goal: raise his stats. No matter what, he would get them updated before departure!
This world didn't offer many leisure activities.
All Liang Yue could do was wait, a kind of boredom even duller than dungeon battles. Time seemed to crawl by.
Though he was eager to see what his new magic could do…
After filling his stomach, the deep fatigue from within his body still crept over him uncontrollably. Leaning against the sofa, he slowly drifted into sleep. When consciousness returned—
It was because he felt his body being moved.
Liang Yue opened his drowsy eyes to see Hestia, who must have come home at some point, moving him with a gentle smile.
She hadn't noticed he was awake.
Her voice was soft, murmuring:
"Liang Yue-kun, if possible… I'd rather you take it easier. Pushing yourself like this… it must be exhausting, right?"
——
With Hephaestus's agreement, Hestia immediately went to seek Takemikazuchi without explaining anything Liang Yue had done in the past.
She simply wanted his familia's help in the upcoming expedition.
Things went even smoother than she expected. The kind-hearted Takemikazuchi didn't refuse outright and wanted to consult his familia members first.
But when she mentioned she could pay them—and with Hephaestus as guarantor—another poverty-stricken god like him quickly agreed. They set a meeting time without trouble.
With that worry gone, Hestia couldn't wait to share the good news with Liang Yue.
And then…
She found him asleep on the sofa from exhaustion, a packed dinner on the table, stone cold.
Recalling everything they'd been through recently, Hestia knew how tired he truly was. As a proper goddess, she decided she should pamper and care for him.
But when she tried to move him to a softer spot, she found she couldn't budge him at all.
Looking up, her eyes met his warm gaze—he'd woken—and she realized she'd just said something she shouldn't have. Panic rose inside her, and a blush slowly spread over her pale cheeks.
Realizing that showing her feelings wasn't shameful, her face quickly lit up with a smile.
"Liang Yue-kun, you're awake?"
"Yes, and it's really not as tiring as you think, Lady Hestia."
"At the very least, every day feels fulfilling." Liang Yue's smile was sincere, though he hesitated over how to bring up finding the magic tome.
Sitting beside him and picking up the now-cold dinner, Hestia spoke first:
"Liang Yue-kun, about the expedition—I have good news for you, so you don't have to worry."
"Because I've already found a partner familia to work with!"
"'Providing help' might be more accurate," she thought, but she said it this way to avoid adding to Liang Yue's sense of debt or making him feel pressured to repay it.
She continued:
"It's a familia you might not have heard of—the Takemikazuchi Familia. They're also planning an expedition, so we figured, why not work together?"
"They have two Level 2 adventurers. With them and you, Liang Yue-kun, we'll definitely be able to reach our goal safely!"
As expected, their companions for the expedition would be Takemikazuchi's familia.
Looking at Hestia's relieved smile, Liang Yue nodded lightly, then added:
"Actually, I have some good news too… for you, Lady Hestia."
Recalling the last "surprise" Liang Yue gave her, Hestia's smile stiffened almost reflexively. Tension replaced it, her eyelids twitching as she cautiously asked:
"This good news… you didn't go and wipe out another familia, did you?"
——
Liang Yue
Lv. 2
Strength: I0 │ Endurance: I0 │ Dexterity: I0 │ Agility: I0 │ Magic: I0
Development Ability: Sword Soul
Magic: War Zeal
Skill: Power of the Sword Soul
——
Looking at the updated status, still the base numbers after a level-up, Hestia felt a strange relief.
But when her eyes landed on the Magic column, she froze for a moment—maybe she'd misunderstood him after all. This really was good news…
War Zeal.
Turning to him, curiosity plain on her face, she asked:
"Liang Yue-kun, so this magic… where did you learn it?"