The towering Babel Tower pierced the sky at the city's center. Roads split Orario into eight districts, each side lined with shops overflowing with goods.
"Hephaestus Familia Northwest Branch."
"The Hostess of Fertility."
Keyaru never imagined he'd actually feel like he was on a pilgrimage through holy sites while walking the streets of the DanMachi world.
But—
This wasn't the time to get distracted. Choosing to join the newly-formed Hestia Familia meant having no illusions about their living conditions.
Reality, of course, matched his expectations perfectly.
After squeezing past the crowds in Central Plaza, he entered the South Mainstreet—and the sight before him was a sharp contrast to Orario's bustling prosperity.
Collapsed, abandoned buildings. Weeds pushing through cracks in the road.
The stones in the shadows were damp with rain, covered in thick green moss. The only word Keyaru could think of was: bleak.
"The timeline must still be early. But... has the white-haired, red-eyed rabbit joined yet?"
From the Familia's current location, he could already infer the rough time period.
And Hestia's next words confirmed it exactly.
"Um... Keyaru, actually—you're my Familia's very first member."
Walking beside him, her initial enthusiasm for forming a Familia had long since cooled. Just thinking about bringing him back to that abandoned church basement made her heart sink.
Granting him Falna in that environment...
Would Keyaru walk away once he saw how pathetic the Hestia Familia's home really was?
Nervous, Hestia felt she had to soften the blow in advance.
"And, uh—"
"Since I descended later than most of the others... our Familia's conditions are a little rough. You don't mind, right?"
"..."
Keyaru etched that information into memory.
So the DanMachi protagonist, the white-haired rabbit, hadn't debuted yet. Which meant—he had a wide-open playing field.
He could avoid catching the eye of Freya, that devourer of men and women alike. He didn't have to worry about Apollo constantly drooling over him either.
Considering Hestia's hopeful gaze, he thought carefully before speaking his truth: "I think... the best Familia is the one that fits me. Those outside hardships can be overcome—as long as we're willing to put in the effort."
"..."
"Keyaru."
Hestia could feel it. Those words weren't for show—this was what he truly believed.
She remembered their first meeting. She could've ignored him lying there, unconscious. But she hadn't. She'd carried him to the Infirmary herself. That too had been the right choice.
"I'll work hard with you."
---
The abandoned church's basement was exactly what he'd pictured.
A salvaged sofa that looked like it had been dragged in off the street. A bed kept spotless. A cabinet with only the barest daily necessities.
Maybe because Hestia lived here alone, the whole place felt lacking in life.
When he spotted an empty Fried Potato Balls takeout box sitting on the table—long since eaten but never thrown away—suddenly it all made sense.
The story hadn't even properly begun, and already Hestia was proving herself every bit the gluttonous, lazy goddess her reputation claimed.
"Well... I guess this is where I cross the line, huh?"
Keyaru pushed those small details aside. He'd joined a Familia, returned with his goddess to their home—and the next step was obvious.
Time to receive Falna.
It was simple: unlock an adventurer's growth system, like flipping on the "experience bar."
In his second run as the Healer, he'd skipped through the early stages by using the Eyes of Truth. But here in DanMachi, he hadn't acquired them.
And his Hero crest had disappeared from his hand too...
Stacked uncertainties left him unsettled.
The only question in his mind: could he still use the Healer's broken abilities in this world?
"To join a Familia, you first need a god's Falna. Keyaru, take off your shirt and lie on the bed. Just give me a moment."
Compared to his unease, Hestia was brimming with excitement. This was her first ever recruit—what kind of talent would he have?
She pulled out the ritual tools: a silver needle, and parchment to copy down his Status.
"Sorry to trouble you, Lady Hestia."
Understanding the process, Keyaru stripped off his shirt. His body, slim compared to other boys his age, wasn't much to look at.
But none of that mattered. The thought of finally receiving a god's blessing and beginning his life as an Adventurer in this world filled him with anticipation.
Only—
What happened next was... unexpected.
Hestia sat herself down on the edge of the bed, swinging her pale, delicate legs lightly.
Kicking off her slippers, she leaned forward and—without thinking twice—swung one leg over, straddling his shoulders from behind.
There was no heavy pressure from her chest.
But he could definitely feel the goddess's soft, feather-light body.
"Wait... is this really the right position?"
Keyaru wanted to complain.
But then he turned his head, and all he saw were her flawless, porcelain-white feet. Toes like pearls, round and clean.
He decided to keep his mouth shut.
That perfect arch... those dainty little feet practically begged to be held and played with.
"It's perfect."
...
Straddling his back, Hestia had no idea the pose was... well, extremely suggestive.
Her focus was completely on the Falna ritual. She had no experience, so she was copying what little she'd seen from memory.
Pricking her finger with the needle, she squeezed out a drop of divine blood.
It fell onto Keyaru's bare back.
In that instant—
A soft glow bloomed. Divine script assembled itself, rearranging and reforming until finally, the sacred text completed itself.
The gift of the gods to mortals: Falna.
"It worked!"
Her young face blossomed into a radiant smile. She pressed the parchment against his back, copying down the newly-formed Status.
Normally, a first-time Adventurer's stats were all blank slates—zero across the board.
Only a rare few—elves blessed with extraordinary talent, or heroes birthed by the world itself—manifested Skills or Magic from the very start.
But such prodigies were scarce. Most Familias raised children from young ages, grooming whatever potential they could.
Hestia, however, never cared about that. To her, Familia members were family.
And this boy—Keyaru—hadn't turned away even after seeing her poverty. He'd chosen her, firmly.
That alone was fate.
Talent? Irrelevant.
But when her eyes fell on the parchment—
Her gaze froze.
Then—
Her childlike face lit up with pure, uncontainable joy.
---
[Name]: Keyaru
[Level]: 1
[Status]:
· Strength: I0
· Endurance: I0
· Dexterity: I0
· Agility: I0
· Magic: I0
[Development Abilities]: None
[Magic]: Heal
[Skills]: None
---
"...?"
"Did I just... hit the jackpot?!"