Liang Yue's somewhat special "first date" with Eina ended on a pleasant note, though there were no follow-up activities afterward.
He wasn't quite sure what time it was by now.
But the streets of Orario were still bustling as ever. Adventurers and civilians alike were enjoying the leisure of the evening.
"Miss Eina."
Considering Eina's safety while walking home alone, Liang Yue looked at the half-elf beside him, her gentle smile still radiant, and offered:
"Would you like me to walk you home?"
"That won't be necessary."
"Orario is quite safe at night. You, on the other hand, shouldn't go home too late. You might worry someone who cares about you."
Through their interactions, Eina had begun forming a basic impression of "Hestia," the unfamiliar goddess.
A deity who cherished her children and provided help to the best of her ability.
Though she found the after-dinner stroll with Liang Yue quite enjoyable, she was still someone who thought ahead.
If a Familia member exploring the Dungeon still hadn't come home late into the night…
Of course someone would be worried, right?
With a playful gleam in her eyes, Eina gave her final score: "Today's date between a Guild employee and an adventurer…"
"I'm only giving you 60 points, Liang Yue-kun!"
The reason was simple — the date was far too short, and all their conversation revolved around Hestia.
Had no one ever taught him about this kind of thing before?
As she was about to leave, Eina couldn't help reminding him:
"When you're out with other girls, the worst thing you can do is bring up another woman."
Not wanting to discourage him too much—
Just as they reached the Hostess of Fertility's entrance, she smiled brightly and waved. "Also… Liang Yue-kun."
"See you tomorrow?"
"Of course."
Watching the half-elf walk away, even Liang Yue couldn't help but smile.
He could finally understand why Eina was so popular in the Guild.
It must be that warm, sweet, first love kind of charm.
At that moment, a young maid wearing a leaf-green uniform and a white apron stood nearby, her expression tangled in hesitation.
Summoning her courage, she gently poked Liang Yue with her finger to get his attention.
"Excuse me, Mr. Adventurer, your takeout dinner is ready."
"Thanks."
Liang Yue turned his gaze back, but when he saw the girl's face clearly, he momentarily lost focus.
She gave off a naturally charming aura—
Wearing the uniform of a waitress from the Hostess of Fertility, her long gray hair was loosely tied into a side ponytail.
Her youthful face radiated energy and vitality.
Syr Flover.
As the restaurant's most popular waitress, it felt perfectly reasonable for Liang Yue to encounter her.
The dinner he had ordered for Hestia was already packed in a bento box.
Pointing at the meal, he asked with a smile, "How much for this bento and my dinner bill?"
"Even if Syr really wanted to help…"
She glanced over the bill, then looked up at him with a soft smile.
"That half-elf lady already paid for everything earlier."
"?"
"…I see."
That was a surprise. Liang Yue hadn't expected Eina to secretly foot the bill.
After all, he was the one who said he'd treat her.
Guess she just wanted to help a greenhorn adventurer, huh?
Just like Eina had said—
Don't make the people who care about you worry.
With a bit of helplessness in his smile, Liang Yue picked up the bento.
By now, Hestia should've finished her part-time job and returned to the Familia's "base" — the abandoned church.
She was probably already waiting.
Carrying the bento, Liang Yue couldn't help but feel a little weird. He said he'd treat her… and instead, Eina paid and he ended up packing food too.
"I got a free meal, boys…"
"I really do need to treat her for real next time."
"Please come again!"
Syr stood at the restaurant's entrance, watching him leave, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
A very unfamiliar adventurer face.
Liang Yue.
She remembered his name clearly — she'd overheard it when Eina addressed him at the counter while cleaning glasses earlier.
——
As for what happened next, it went just as Liang Yue had predicted.
Hestia had finished her shift at Hephaestus' weapon store and returned straight to the Familia's base — the old abandoned church.
Rather than resting in the basement, she sat patiently at the entrance, waiting.
And when the figure she longed to see finally appeared, all her worries melted away the moment she hugged him.
With big sparkling eyes, Hestia asked, "Liang Yue-kun, did your Dungeon adventure go well today?"
"I carry the hope of reviving our Familia."
"No matter what, I won't let myself fall into danger," Liang Yue said, raising the bento in his hand.
Feeling the warmth of her hug—
He explained why he was late. "There's a Guild employee who's been a big help to me, so I treated her to dinner."
"So… it was for relationship-building, I guess?"
Hestia didn't even hear the latter half of the sentence. Her attention was wholly captured by his earlier words:
"I carry the hope of reviving our Familia. No matter what, I won't let myself fall into danger."
All the pressure was falling on Liang Yue.
And yet, as a goddess, she couldn't offer him anything useful. Her reputation was too small — she couldn't even recruit new members.
A pang of guilt washed over her. Releasing him from the hug, she murmured, "If only I were more useful, things would be easier for you…"
"Thank you, Liang Yue-kun."
"To me, Lady Hestia is irreplaceable," he replied, his expression light but his gaze firm. "Reviving the Familia is a huge challenge, but if we succeed…"
"…the sense of accomplishment will be immense."
Looking at her hand clinging to the hem of his shirt, Liang Yue gently took it in his own.
"Let's head inside."
"If we wait too long, the dinner I got for you will go cold."
——
Dungeon diving was monotonous and repetitive, but Liang Yue still relished it. With everything prepared in advance, he dove right in.
Glancing at the sleeping Hestia curled up on the sofa—
He resumed his journey into the Dungeon.
Thanks to the previous day's exploration, he was now familiar with the threats of floors 1–7. That made today's planning especially clear.
The "War Shadows," infamous rookie-killers, were still decent XP providers.
Best of all, they dropped magic stones and useful materials that fetched a good price at the Guild.
They were tricky enemies for most adventurers, so their numbers remained high — which worked out well for Liang Yue.
Armed with efficient battle strategies—
He spent the whole day grinding here, the EXP bar rising slowly.
Time seemed to disappear completely.
His muscles gradually adapted to the strain of high-intensity combat.
Eventually, what made him finally stop…
…was the alert from the Sword Soul template.
He had reached Level 15.
"Hard work really does pay off…"
Opening his Sword Soul interface again, Liang Yue couldn't hide his anticipation. He whispered under his breath:
"So, what new skills can I learn now?"
——
[Liang Yue]
Level: 15
EXP: 0.1%
Skill: Inner • Ghost Swordsmanship (Mastered)
SP: 140
"New skills available. Would you like to view them?"
---
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