Kashima Ouka didn't really have an issue with Keyaru—after all, their god had a close relationship with Lord Takemikazuchi. Sparring was one thing; it just used members' free time. But letting him join the Familia's Dungeon party? He remained skeptical. One misstep could compromise everyone's safety.
Still, after hearing Mikoto's explanation—and seeing Lord Takemikazuchi agree—he honestly didn't know whether to refuse. They only had three people who could reliably delve. Even the early middle floors were tough; a steady extra hand would help.
"…"
"Lord Takemikazuchi—what's your view?"
"This is Keyaru's idea. If we go by his patron's temperament…" Takemikazuchi trailed off, shaking his head at the thought. He wasn't comfortable flatly refusing, either. He weighed it carefully:
"When are you planning your next delve?"
"Even with a short-term boost, his stats still won't meet the usual threshold. If you have time to spare, give Keyaru a bit more time."
As a god, he was genuinely curious how far his friend's new child could grow. But hotheaded decisions were the worst—he wouldn't risk his own children or drag Hestia's into danger.
"Understood," Ouka said. "We'll do as you suggest."
…
With a clear answer, Mikoto didn't linger. She couldn't wait to bring the news to Keyaru. Why was she so invested? She hadn't examined it closely—maybe it was that first day, watching his grit and discipline. It moved you.
Then, stepping into the dorm courtyard, she saw him.
The lights stretched his shadow long. That fine-boned, handsome face wore an easy smile. She wasn't one to care about looks, but she still spaced out for a moment—then felt a deeper disbelief. In the spar just now, she'd held nothing back. Someone like Ouka would need days to recover from that kind of beating.
The ache in her own arms told her she hadn't hallucinated. A little gloom pricked at her.
"Talent like that for live combat… a skill that boosts potential, and that kind of recovery—are the rest of us bottom-rung adventurers supposed to just… watch?"
Envy was inevitable. But she didn't forget the message. A team run would show her how far the work behind his talent really went.
"How far can he go?"
"As for the team-up," she said at last, "Lord Takemikazuchi has no objection—but he wants you using the next few days to push your strength as much as possible. We don't want accidents in the Dungeon."
"Please thank Lord Takemikazuchi for me."
Grinding-phase wool was easiest to shear from the Takemikazuchi Familia. Pushing deeper, facing harder content, would definitely help his stats—and it was mutually beneficial. If anyone got hurt, he could use Heal to solve the safety problem.
The plan was on track. He didn't ignore Mikoto's reminder either: in these next few days, he'd squeeze the Dungeon for all the growth he could. Since crossing over, things had gone smoothly—especially on the safety front. No room for slip-ups.
By the time Keyaru returned to base, it was nearly midnight. After a quick wash, the weariness of back-to-back, high-intensity training crashed over him. Another dive tomorrow; with no entertainment to keep him up, there was no point in forcing it.
"At this point… sleep first."
No way he'd lie flat while Hestia was working herself ragged.
—
Early to bed, early to rise left him buzzing with energy. Prepped for the dive, he didn't head for Babel this time, but for the Guild.
With most adventurers already on their way down, there was no line. He found his target easily:
Eina Tulle.
With his updated stats and Transformation in his pocket, floors past 5 weren't that daunting—but a bit more intel would make the whole run smoother. Heal was great for post-injury insurance. But getting ambushed by a strong monster with no time to cast? Worst-case scenario.
Use getting hurt to trigger Imitation?
Get real.
Monsters fight on instinct; beyond the pain, there's not much technique to learn. That's why—
He looked up at the uniformed half-elf with the gentle smile and called out, casual, "Good morning, Miss Eina."
"Good morning~"
Most consultations came in the afternoon; mornings were for Dungeon-bound traffic. Pushing up her glasses, she asked, "How can I help?"
"I'd like information on monsters past Floor 6. The last few days haven't moved the needle much for me. I want to push deeper—better rewards, too."
Clear goals. She wasn't surprised. He'd already killed a War Shadow on a first dive; after two days of prep, this made sense.
Her job was to help adventurers. She laid out the floor-by-floor breakdown as carefully as she could, hoping to be useful—then watched him head off.
"Mr. Keyaru."
"As you said before—only those who come back alive are adventurers. So… I hope you'll keep your word."