"Even though I might have to move around later, having a fixed place really is better after all."
On a relatively quiet street in Orario, a girl cloaked in a hooded robe walked slowly, surveying her surroundings while cradling two adorable dolls in her arms.
This was Alice, who had just woken up and emerged from her Gap, now searching for a new place to settle down.
As much as Alice could happily hole up forever without a care in the world...
She was still human in the end, and humans needed to live. If she could really sleep straight from autumn to winter like the Gap Youkai from the [Knowledge Repository], then she truly wouldn't have anything to worry about.
But since she was human and needed to make a living, Alice had begun scouting for a location for her new home. Somewhere she could stay hidden for good would be ideal.
Of course, she didn't need to run around forever—once her strength reached a certain level, everything would be fine.
Alice was already well aware that she was different from the people of Orario. With just basic magic, she had managed to escape from Bete Loga, the Werewolf of the Loki Familia.
She had a rough idea of where her current abilities stood.
She also understood that her growth didn't depend on a God's Blessing. As long as she mastered the knowledge in her mind...
She would become incredibly powerful. How powerful exactly?
Alice wasn't quite sure yet.
But according to the [Knowledge Repository], there were immortals and sages. Once she reached the level of the "her" in her memories, she figured she'd be at least as strong as a Level 7 adventurer in this world.
So, for now, she just needed to pick a spot in a less crowded area. After all, she'd already decided to earn money by hunting monsters in the Dungeon, which meant she probably wouldn't be home much anyway.
That's why her eyes lit up when she came across a rather dilapidated church.
'I wonder if anyone's living here… Probably not,' she thought. With that, she took a step forward and approached the church.
But just as she was about to push open the church door, Alice clearly heard a desperate cry from inside.
"Hephaestus!! Don't abandon me! If I become the first god to be 'sent back' to heaven because I starved to death, I'll be the laughingstock of everyone!"
"I'm begging you! Just let me stay for one more week! In that time, I'll definitely find a child and establish my Familia!"
A familiar name reached Alice's ears, making her hesitate to push the door open and enter.
'Hmm… Looks like my neighbor is going to be an eccentric and unreliable god. Well, that actually puts me more at ease.'
Alice knew all too well that she could never stay completely hidden. Whether it was her appearance, her dolls, or her magic—
Once she started venturing into the Dungeon, her fighting style would inevitably be noticed.
It was only a matter of time before the Loki Familia tracked her down. Before that happened, she needed to grow stronger—not overwhelmingly so, but just enough to stand her ground against that werewolf.
Truth be told, even now, if she had enough high-quality materials, Alice was confident she could handle that obnoxious werewolf.
But unfortunately, she didn't have any.
So, having an unreliable god nearby meant that when people eventually came looking for her, she could use this god to divert everyone's attention.
This god would be her camouflage.
The only slight hitch was that this god had no Familia, no children.
If this god had a child, and that child was a genius, then Alice could hide even more easily.
After all, the brightest spot is often the darkest.
Who would suspect that a genius adventurer's neighbor was an even more genius otherworlder?
Of course, it'd also be fine if this god just left.
'For now, I should set up my house. It'd be troublesome if Hephaestus saw me,' Alice thought, quite pleased with the location.
Hephaestus had also been one of the gods who wanted her to join their Familia, but Alice felt this god had a good nature. Even if she were discovered, it wouldn't be a big deal—as long as she made it clear she had no intention of joining any Familia.
She had a feeling this kind-hearted god would understand and not give her too hard a time.
The area around the dilapidated church was largely in ruins.
At some point in the past, a powerful Familia must have existed here. The scale of the crumbling debris was proof of their former strength.
But sadly, that powerful Familia was now gone, leaving behind nothing but broken walls and scattered rubble.
Right across from the church where that unreliable god was staying...
stood a house that looked relatively intact from the outside. But upon entering, one would find it was little more than a shell—not a single pillar left inside, as if the slightest shake would bring the whole thing crashing down.
Probably why that god across the way had chosen to live in the church instead. As rundown as it was, the church was at least made of brick and stone. Even in its dilapidated state, it was safe to live in, with no fear of collapse.
But as for this wooden shell that looked ready to topple in a light breeze—Alice was perfectly happy with it.
After all, she had her own house. This wooden shell would make for perfect camouflage.
With a casual wave of her hand… a Gap opened instantly, swallowing the wooden shell and replacing it in the blink of an eye with Alice's own two-story cottage.
Looking at her little house and comparing it to the shell that was there before, Alice nodded in satisfaction.
There were some differences, of course, but her relatively plain-looking home blended perfectly into the surroundings. Anyone who saw it wouldn't suspect a thing.
Naturally, whenever Alice went to the Dungeon, she would store the house in her Gap and carry it around with her like a snail with its shell.
So she still needed to make a few adjustments—it also helped her understand why Tione and Lefiya had always said her previous shop was so hard to find.
'Next up, setting up the surroundings.'
Shanghai and Hourai flew out from Alice's arms.
She raised her hand toward her house, and softly whispered:
"Boundary of Dreams and Reality."
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