Chương 20: Turns Out, I'm the Main Topic

A virgin goddess who had shown no interest in men back in Heaven actually had a man now. Heavens. Was this really Hestia? Damn it. She even provoked me. She got me. Thinking of how she had mocked the little runt earlier, Loki ground her teeth.

"Hey, Loki. You are usually the first one to make noise and demand the strongest booze. Why do you look scared stiff now?" Bete, the werewolf with a very rough attitude, carried a large barrel of ale onto the table. Seeing Loki's stunned expression, he called out.

"Oh? What did she see?" Riveria followed Loki's gaze and let out a soft sound.

"Hm? Is that not the boy from earlier?"

"Who? Those two at that table?" Bete looked over, his tone rude and his words sharp.

"A goddess and one pitifully weak male. You know him, Riveria?"

"We met once at the weapon shop."

"What, what? What are you two talking about?" Tiona, the cheerful and innocent Amazon, hurried over and slapped the table without restraint, inserting herself into the conversation.

"Do not keep the fun to yourselves. Hurry up and share."

"Oh. So Loki is looking at that boy." Finn Deimne, the blond Prum, spoke gently as he followed Loki's gaze. There was a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"That boy is certainly eye-catching."

"Captain, what is that boy's background?" Tione, Tiona's twin sister and a lovestruck Amazon, leaned close to Finn and asked in a sweet voice.

"For him to draw attention from both you and Loki, he must be something. I have not heard of him."

"Oh, so it is that boy. I know, I know." Tiona blinked as she looked over, then grew excited.

"That boy is amazing. I saw him back then. I was stunned. It was incredible."

"What happened? You make it sound impressive." Gareth, the gruff dwarf, gulped down a mug of ale and burped.

"Was it as important as this expedition?"

"You all know about the huge Irregular that happened in the Upper Floors yesterday, right? It affected all of the Upper Floors." Tiona spoke excitedly.

"Of course," Riveria said seriously.

"According to reports, the monster spawn rate briefly increased by eight to twelve times, and monsters that should not have spawned on certain floors appeared two floors higher than normal. The situation calmed down by itself before an investigation could even begin."

"Does that have something to do with that boy?"

"Hee hee. I was there. I heard from a Guild adviser that it was that boy's first time entering the Dungeon, and he actually charged all the way to the sixth floor alone."

"Then he was unlucky enough to run into that accident. But he fought his way back out alone. Not only that, he brought back a whole backpack of Magic Stones. If the backpack had been bigger, I bet he would have brought back even more."

"The most important thing is that he was covered in blood and collapsed the moment he came out of the labyrinth. So many people were shocked. I really admired him. I want to go say hello now." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Tiona spoke with bright, innocent excitement, without the slightest restraint.

"Hey, do not cause trouble for someone else." Tione immediately pulled back her reckless sister.

"What? I heard about that too, but it must have been exaggerated." Bete clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"In a dangerous situation like that, a rookie on his first day as an adventurer did all that? There is a limit to jokes."

"And he still brought out so many Magic Stones? Ridiculous."

"It is true, mangy wolf."

"Hah? That is the boy?" Loki, who had finally recovered, raised her brows after listening. Her mood instantly worsened.

"I heard about that too and thought it was absurd. Even Ais only reached the fourth floor when she first became an adventurer." And the rookie at the center of that whole incident belonged to Hestia. How irritating.

"Huh? Loki, were you not looking at that kid?" Bete asked in surprise.

"Of course not. I was only looking at someone I have a small grudge with from Heaven," Loki said with folded arms and narrowed eyes, clearly annoyed.

"If that is the case, it is not surprising," Riveria said calmly. Inwardly, admiration stirred in her as well.

"From the sound of it, Riveria, you know something about this reckless boy?" Finn asked.

"Ais and I met him once in Goibniu Familia's shop. By chance, I sensed a trace of his Magic. It was unsettling. He possesses extremely strong Magic... at least stronger than mine." Even now, Riveria still felt pressure when she remembered that uneasy sensation. Smack.

"Hey, Riveria, do not talk him up and sell yourself short." Bete slapped the table in dissatisfaction.

"You are Orario's strongest mage. How could some nobody have Magic stronger than yours?"

"That is the truth. I did not sense it wrong," Riveria said stubbornly. Bete glanced toward the boy in question and clicked his tongue. If even Riveria said that, could it really be true? Impossible. For a rookie to fight out of that situation from the sixth floor should be impossible unless he was Lv. 2 or above. Tch. Just a lucky brat. Ais looked over blankly, a question mark practically appearing above her head. His first time? How did he do it?

"A child whose Magic even Riveria finds frightening? If that is true, fighting his way out of that situation is possible. Hee hee. This is getting interesting." Loki smiled slyly and glanced toward Babel at the center of Orario. There was one rule all gods knew. The stronger a mortal's ability and talent, the brighter their soul would be. If that goddess whose eyes could see souls took interest in him, the little runt's still-weak Familia would be in trouble.

"Hey, stop talking about some random boy. Drink!" Bete, unable to endure it any longer, slammed a wooden mug onto the table and roared.

"We are not leaving until we are drunk!"

"Tch. The mangy wolf with the worst alcohol tolerance shouts the loudest. Fine, bring it on. Who is afraid of you?" Tione shouted back, refusing to lose. The conversation from Loki Familia also reached nearby adventurers. Some adventurers looked toward Cael's table with open displeasure and hostility, discussing him without restraint.

"So he is the boy the rumors made sound like a legend. Hmph. Becoming famous on his first day as an adventurer. Arrogant."

"Too arrogant. Famous in Orario on the first day. It makes me feel sick."

"You want to teach that arrogant rookie a lesson?"

"Tch. What nonsense are you saying? He fought his way out of that situation alone. Who knows how many monsters he killed? What matters is that he still had the strength to pick up Magic Stones. Thinking about what happened back then still makes me shiver."

"He must have some terrifying rare Skill. Hmph. Do not provoke people like that for no reason. Sooner or later, he will surpass us and become a powerful upper-class adventurer. Then he might settle old accounts."

"Looks like pure luck to me. Ridiculous how exaggerated the rumors are."

"Tch. Just a kid. Even if he really becomes an upper-class adventurer, that is still far off. What is there to fear?" Cael's Basic Abilities had grown so much that he immediately sensed those unfriendly gazes. Loki Familia had not exactly hidden their conversation either, so he heard that too. He was a little shocked that Riveria could infer the strength of his Reality Marble just from sensing the attached ability he had used. My stomach hurts. I did not expect my name to spread this much by accident.

I wanted to develop quietly. He glanced sideways toward the unfriendly gazes and curled his lip, not taking them too seriously. Once a person became famous, all kinds of unreasonable malice would follow. But to Cael, that hostility was just another stepping stone. It was just experience walking straight up to him.