The Hostess of Fertility.
As evening approached, it was precisely the busiest time for the restaurant. Most adventurers with relatively comfortable finances chose to settle their dinner here.
Putting flavor aside for the moment.
At the very least, every server here was an easy-on-the-eyes, beautiful young girl.
After being taught a lesson by a friend's righteous iron fist, Anya's second encounter with Ron lacked the initial playfulness. Instead, she was unusually well-behaved.
However, her scrutinizing gaze still fell on Hestia.
That noon, after Ron had taken the initiative to invite Ryuu on a date, Anya found this guy extremely interesting and decided she absolutely had to ship them properly.
So—
Who was this equally good-looking young woman?
Having been away from the adventurer lifestyle for a long time, Anya truly couldn't recognize her. But when Ron addressed her as "my lady," that essentially confirmed her identity as a goddess!
Anya suddenly felt that she was very smart.
She glanced toward the bar area. The only two remaining empty seats were originally reserved for the adventurers who had made reservations with her, but when it came to important matters, this kitty knew how to tell priorities apart.
Even if she really got asked about it—
Then it was simply that Anya forgot, meow~
"Welcome."
"There just happen to be two seats at the bar. I'll take you over. I'll secretly tell you—Miss Ryuu has been a little distracted these past couple of days."
"Uh."
Compared to the godlike unfolding of events that day—
According to Ryuu's personality, Ron did not think this was his fault. As for the reason behind her distraction, it was more likely related to the Dungeon's "abnormal situation."
Rather, it was Hestia.
She deftly caught the hidden implication in those words—who exactly was this Miss Ryuu, and why would her being distracted be connected to her own Ron?
It felt like there was a bull here!
The child she had painstakingly raised was about to be snatched away by another woman…
Maintaining her smile, Hestia asked Anya, "Who is this Miss Ryuu? Did our Ron do something inappropriate to her?"
"If that's the case, then please help me convey my apology."
"Miss Ryuu is Miss Ryuu, meow—she's Anya's coworker." Anya hurriedly shook her head, especially after noticing the shop manager Mia's murderous glare.
She immediately made a break for it.
As for reception duty, it naturally had to be handed over to Ryuu—this was an opportunity she had worked so hard to create!
Before leaving, Anya did not forget to emphasize to Ron, "Anya is going to help out in the back kitchen. As for ordering and such, just leave it to my coworker, meow~"
'Suspected Shura Field'
Ron became inwardly alert.
He chose to ignore the topic outright. Still, faced with the overwhelmingly oppressive scrutiny of Manager Mia, he braced himself and explained, "Aunt Mia."
"This is my patron deity, Lady Hestia."
"Welcome."
Mia had indeed heard of Hestia's divine name before. Though it was their first meeting, she nodded with a simple, honest smile in welcome—one could only say she had not misjudged this kid.
She actually knew to bring a goddess along to help boost the restaurant's business.
She took out a freshly wiped glass and placed it in front of Ron. "The shop is a bit busy right now, so you may have to wait a moment. What would you like to drink?"
"For me, a drink is fine."
Ron was not particularly interested in alcohol—mainly because the brewing techniques were not mature enough. After answering, he shifted his gaze to Hestia beside him.
"What about you, Lady Hestia?"
Although the topic had been deftly redirected, Hestia was still dwelling on the earlier interlude. As for Ron's personal traits, she did not find it surprising that other women would appear around him.
It was just that—
No matter what, the young goddess could not figure out why she felt this sense of displeasure!
So she decided to drink first and think later, saying decisively, "Then please get me a glass of sparkling wine. If it has a fruity flavor, that would be even better."
"Please wait a moment."
Those who drank alcohol in the restaurant were big spenders.
Mia nodded casually. After filling the young goddess's glass, she looked at Ron and said, "As for juice, our shop happens to have a new item."
"Would you like to try it and give some feedback?"
"Sure."
Ron did not think much of it.
But when he saw—that green-haired elf girl carrying a tray walking over—an ominous feeling gradually settled in his heart. Out of courtesy, he said, "Good evening, Miss Ryuu."
"…"
"Hello."
No wonder Anya had used a stomachache as an excuse to make her help out!
When Ryuu clearly saw the familiar face of the young man, she instantly felt a severe headache. It was not that she had any issue with Ron—rather, it was just that anyone who opened with an invitation to a date…
It was precisely because of this matter—and because, when she shook hands with Ron, she did not feel the slightest trace of disgust—that she had gained no clues at all regarding the so-called "abnormal situation."
Her emotions were in complete disarray…
Yet there was no change whatsoever on the young woman's cool, composed face.
She calmly explained, "This is the restaurant's new drink. I just freshly squeezed the orange juice. The one in the wooden cup is the orange-flavored sparkling water that has been sold for quite some time."
"Please try them and see which tastes better."
"No problem."
Two cups of orange juice were placed in front of Ron.
They were distinguished by a wooden cup and a glass cup. In terms of appearance, the drinks themselves showed no difference, aside from faint bubbles continuously rising along the surface of the wooden cup.
Just as he was about to taste them, Ron sensed a gaze beside him. He slightly turned his head and saw the smile spread across Hestia's childlike face—seemingly without any issue.
But his keen instincts told him something was wrong!
This did not seem like a multiple-choice question. It was a life-or-death question.
Under the gazes of Manager Mia and that useless elf, Ron still steeled himself and tasted them one by one. Finally, under everyone's watchful eyes, he spoke with his head slightly tilted: "Mm."
"Between the freshly squeezed orange juice and the previously sold orange sparkling water…"
"I think the chilled orange sparkling water is more refreshing to drink!"
...
The next morning.
As for why Hestia woke up on the sofa, clinging to him like a sloth, Ron decided to attribute that situation to drunken antics.
After all, she really had drunk a bit too much the night before.
It was not that she had said anything particularly troubling. It was just that after carrying Hestia back, a certain degree of physical closeness had been unavoidable.
After finally managing to free himself from the young goddess's embrace, Ron did a simple wash-up and made his preparations. As for today's exploration objective, it was very straightforward: while preventing the Soma Familia from tracking him, he would focus on improving himself.
After all, no matter how one put it, the Soma Familia had two Lv2 members.
Even if, in terms of ability values, Zanis and the other adventurer were very likely borderline cases who had just barely advanced, he still had to show them sufficient respect.
Being cautious was never wrong.
Simple Dungeon exploration could only allow Ron to master techniques for fighting monsters.
But when it came to engaging in life-and-death combat against adventurers, he was a complete newcomer in that regard. Fortunately, the Dungeon itself could help him resolve this issue.
[Mimic War Shadow]
A special monster that possessed adventurer combat experience.
And then—
Facing the rising sun, Ron set off toward Babel Tower. Today's exploration goal was very clear: head to the sixth-floor area and undergo comprehensive training.
So that he could better deal with the impending all-encompassing crisis.
"Since it's come to this, keep on accumulating!"
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