Choosing a Familia is a Headache
If he chose *Loki Familia, his early growth would undoubtedly be rapid, with access to plenty of resources. But that meant exposing his unique skill—"Dimensional Storage."
On the other hand, if he went with *Hestia Familia*, he couldn't expect much support early on. He'd have to scrape by on his own. The upside? A cute, loving goddess… and the ability to keep his special skill hidden.
Then, images of *Loki* and *Hestia* flashed through Bell's mind.
Loki, the mischievous goddess—not the male trickster god of Norse myths—was a red-haired, squinty-eyed girl with… a flat chest. Though usually carefree, she was surprisingly reliable when it mattered.
Hestia, the hearth goddess—one of the twelve Olympians in his original world—was practically the "big sister" of the Greek pantheon. Here, her status was just as lofty.
Her *"Eternal Sacred Flame"* made her absurdly powerful among deities.
Her *figure, however, was… *unique. Standing at just *140 cm tall, she fit squarely into the **"loli"* category—yet her proportions were *voluptuous, the kind that made it *impossible to look away.
*"Alright! I've decided—I'm joining Hestia Familia!"*
After weighing his options again and again, Bell chose the *resource-less Familia*, just like in the original story.
After all… who could resist the charm of a **"loli goddess"?**
A goddess like that, handed to him on a silver platter? What more could he ask for?
It was like Tiamat from Fate/Grand Order! Who wouldn't immediately become a **"devoted son"* when Tiamat whispered, *"My child…"? Who wouldn't want to bury their face in that **motherly embrace?**
(Well, technically, Tiamat was the mother of all things—but that didn't stop her "children" from wanting to give her a different future than that of a god…)
Not that Bell had any ulterior motives. He just wanted to *worship his main goddess* first.
Forget meeting other girls—*Hestia was the best possible encounter.*
---
But Then There Was Freya…
The Goddess of Beauty had the ability to *see into people's souls*. No words or disguises could fool her—the soul never lied.
Bell wondered… would she see through him?
But on second thought, his mind wasn't as pure as the *14-year-old Bell* from the original story. Realistically, *he didn't shine brightly enough to catch Freya's attention.*
That goddess had no interest in *ordinary people.*
---
"I'll head into the city and gather intel."
Packing his meager belongings, Bell threw on a trench coat and blended in with the crowd, pretending to be just another traveler.
The chances of *ordinary folks* getting into trouble were low. As long as he looked unremarkable and carried nothing valuable, nobody would bother him.
Bell remained *cautious* for those last ten kilometers.
Acting like a penneless drifter was easy… though, in his case, *he really was one.*
Aside from his coat, *he didn't even have a backpack.* The epitome of poverty.
---
At a crossroads, Bell spotted *merchant caravans* rolling down the main road.
Curious, he glanced at the side of the path. An endless line of wagons hauled goods—*their wheels sinking into the dirt from the weight.*
"Looks like Orario gets a lot of supplies from outside."
Honestly, *trade intrigued him.* The risks were lower than dungeon diving.
"If I were smarter, maybe I could make a name for myself on this route."
But he quickly *dismissed the idea.* Not only was his *"Five-Star Attire"* worthless for commerce, but business required cunning. *Bell doubted his straightforward mind could handle something that complex.*
---
As he walked, he *overheard a conversation* between the mercenaries escorting the wagons:
—"This delivery was rough. We ran into an Earth Dragon. A damn nightmare."**
—"No kidding! If the party we hired hadn't been strong, that thing would've shredded us."**
An Earth Dragon?
Bell frowned. *Anything with "dragon" in its name was never simple.*
He listened closely.
—"At least it wasn't a Flying Dragon. That would've been the end of us."**
—"Don't jinx it! Flying Dragons are way rarer. You think they just pop up everywhere?"
—"This world's full of dangers. Without strength, you're dead anywhere."**
—"Get unlucky, run into the wrong monster, and you're finished before you can even get stronger."
Bell sighed inwardly.
Then he studied the mercenaries. Some had bandages wrapped around their heads, arms, and legs. Clearly, they'd been through a brutal fight.
"Dragons are legendary no matter the world. No surprise they'd wreck even a seasoned party."
"Compared to the unpredictable outside… the Dungeon really is the safest place for me."
With that conclusion, Bell adjusted his coat and kept moving toward *Orario*, ready to start his new life.