It was just as Levi thought.
Hestia didn't dwell on the fact that he had killed people. Instead, a look of worry crossed her face. "Levi, why don't you find a Supporter? Sure, it might cut into your daily income, but it would free you from the repetitive labor of picking up magic stones. Plus, a Supporter can keep an eye on your surroundings and act as a sentry."
To the Goddess, a Supporter was an asset with zero downsides.
But to Levi...
Outside of Hestia—who was effectively his partner in fate and whose character he had come to trust—the trust level he had for anyone else in Orario, even members of the major Familias, was far below the passing mark.
He had seen the complex, often dark relationship between Adventurers and Supporters through the character of Liliruca Arde in the anime back in his previous life. Even in this life, before joining the Hestia Familia, he had overheard adventurers in the inn lobby talking about similar betrayals.
From the very beginning, he had no intention of recruiting one. As the saying goes, as long as he didn't die prematurely, his system guaranteed he would eventually stand at the absolute peak of Orario. It was only a matter of time.
"If you don't want to, then forget it," Hestia sighed.
Having lived in the heavens for eons, she could easily read the intense rejection on Levi's face. As his Goddess, she truly wanted to help him grow, but she had "pulled a UR card" right out of the gate.
Levi already possessed a sword that rivaled First-Class armaments... and now a longbow as well. His armor was slightly lacking, but still above average for a Level 1. Then there was his stat-boosting magic and that borderline-broken skill, [Identity Unknown].
The only downside was that everything cost Valis—not in the hundreds, but in the tens of thousands. Hestia had no doubt that if he was this much of a "gold-sink" at Level 1, he would become a true "Gold-Eating Behemoth" by the time he reached Level 2 or 3.
That said, life in the Familia—mostly for Hestia—wasn't difficult. Levi not only handled all the cooking but also left Valis on the table for her "pocket money" before heading to the Dungeon. In some ways, this daily life was even more comfortable than when she lived with Hephaestus.
At least no one is bossing me around, she thought.
After a moment of silence, Hestia spoke again. "Levi, if you run into trouble, you have to tell me. I might not have much power with my divinity sealed, but I still have many friends from the heavens."
Levi smiled. He started to say he didn't need help, but then he paused. He swallowed the words and cleared his throat. "Actually, there is one thing where I could use your connections."
Hestia's eyes lit up. "Oh? What is it?"
"At my current farming speed, I should have my stats maxed out by the day after tomorrow at the latest. After that, I need to head to the Middle Floors to achieve a 'Great Feat' for my level up." Levi paused. "You know me—you could call me cautious, or just plain afraid of dying. So, if possible, Hestia, could you use your connections to find a tight-lipped, high-level adventurer? Ideally a Level 3, to act as my safety net?"
"I definitely can! Of course!" Hestia puffed out her chest proudly. Then, her expression shifted to confusion. "But is that really okay? Didn't you want to hide your actual level from the world?"
Since joining, Levi had insisted on hiding his real progress from the Guild. Hestia knew that with [Identity Unknown], his growth would be terrifyingly fast. Reporting it honestly would inevitably attract the unwanted attention of numerous Gods. She had agreed to the deception; after all, plenty of other Familias did the same thing.
Levi chuckled. "Because of Eina—the half-elf clerk—a lot of people already know I was farming the Dungeon before I even had a Falna. The strategists in other Familias aren't idiots; they've likely deduced that my base potential is quite high."
This wasn't ego talking. Large Familias had powerful information networks. While Eina was tight-lipped, the Guild Hall was a public place. Their first conversation happened at the exchange counter—a very visible spot. Add to that the fact that most adventurers love to gossip over a few drinks, and keeping his existence a total secret was impossible.
In fact, if Hestia hadn't found him first, Levi had planned to join the Loki Familia once he maxed his Level 0 stats. As one of the two ruling powers of Orario, the Loki Familia could easily protect a gifted adventurer.
But large Familias had their own risks. He would be subject to the orders of superiors and forced into the front lines of conflicts with the Evilus or rival factions. Here, as the Captain of the Hestia Familia, his name might be in some files, but because he hadn't "peaked" yet, he wasn't a priority target.
"Besides, I'm only going down there to stack my Great Feat. I never said I'd announce my level up immediately."
"Others aren't stupid," Hestia warned.
"I know," Levi shrugged. "But compared to the risks and accidents I might face while trying to achieve a Great Feat alone, leaking a bit of intel is a trade-off I'm willing to accept. Of course, if you find someone truly tight-lipped, my real situation might still stay under wraps."