Xyros wasn't surprised that Hestia had managed to find a Familia home, a place for them to stay. He just hadn't expected much in terms of living conditions.
A leaky, abandoned church basement that keeps out the wind and rain, plus a drop-dead gorgeous goddess as a roommate?
What more could you ask for!
But when Hestia mentioned finding him a "Dungeon exploration mentor," his eyes widened with surprise. Was this some kind of special perk for being the first member?
"Um…"
"This mentor… for Dungeon exploration?"
"Exactly."
"He'll teach you basic combat techniques, how to fight monsters efficiently, all that stuff. That way, I won't worry so much about your safety."
After all, considering the "vessel" Xyros possessed, if he'd joined one of Orario's major Familias, they'd have absolutely nurtured him as a core member.
Hestia knew she couldn't offer those kinds of resources. The least she could do was provide some help for his future Dungeon explorations within her very limited means.
The girl continued, her tone light,
"First, let's head to the Familia home. It might be a bit… modest, but I'm sure things will get better! And then I'll introduce you to your mentor."
"Thank you, Lady Hestia."
Even though she'd said they shouldn't need to say "thank you," Xyros felt it was only basic courtesy to express gratitude to someone who was looking out for him.
But as he followed Hestia's lead, walking along the adventurer's district towards the far end, he began to sense something was off. This wasn't the way to the abandoned church in West Main Street.
They hadn't passed the iconic "Hostess of Fertility" tavern.
Instead, they looped back towards the Guild, turned at the end of the street, and arrived at a rather impressive complex of buildings, northeastern Orario.
Xyros had some memory of this place.
While it wasn't featured much in the original Danmachi story, the war god Takemikazuchi and his Familia had their home in this very area.
Thinking this over, he looked at the girl beside him, seeking confirmation. "We're going to live here?"
"Mm…"
"Starting a Familia from scratch means limited funds." Hestia couldn't exactly say that the rent money had been advanced to her as wages from her best friend, could she?
She found it a little hard to meet Xyros's eyes.
But then she heard the young man's voice, filled with genuine anticipation: "Honestly? This is way better than I expected."
Hearing Hestia's confirmation, Xyros realized that his sudden appearance had already caused the original plotline to shift slightly.
This wasn't how it went in the original story.
They were supposed to live in the basement, not move straight into the dorms.
And as for this so-called "mentor"… he could guess with his eyes closed. It had to be that perpetually broke Far Eastern war god, Takemikazuchi.
"Ah—"
"I was worried you might be disappointed with the place."
Feeling the sincerity in Xyros's words, Hestia visibly relaxed. She reached into her bag and pulled out the keys to their dorm room.
There were two copies.
One of those keys was for Xyros. From now on, she'd be working at the Hephaestus Arms shop.
Of course, that was absolutely not something she was going to admit.
"This is already great."
Xyros nodded firmly. Compared to the abandoned basement in the original story, No place to bathe, having to use the Guild's public bath… A dorm that could meet basic daily needs was practically luxurious.
The best part was the war god Takemikazuchi.
A deity who, without relying on divine power, could match a Level 5 adventurer purely through martial skill, giving him practical Dungeon combat training?
Double win.
And as a Familia member, he also needed to think about the Familia's development.
He said seriously, "I don't think our Familia's future is going to be confined to a dorm. Once we earn enough money, we'll move to a bigger place."
"I believe in you."
The goddess's bright eyes held nothing but trust.
When they entered their rented room, it was clean and tidy. There was a wardrobe, a storage chest, and near the window, a desk with a chair.
As for beds… there was one. And a fairly comfortable-looking sofa.
Hestia explained patiently, "You can store your weapons and gear in the chest. As for sleeping arrangements… we might have to compromise a little."
"You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."
"I've already prepared all your daily necessities!"
Listening to the girl's detailed explanations, Xyros felt like the Hestia before him was practically glowing. Especially considering her lolita-esque, beautiful girl appearance…
It almost reminded him of a certain young "mom" character from another series.
This kind of special treatment honestly made him feel both flattered and a bit overwhelmed. He quickly said, "Thank you, Lady Hestia, but I can sleep on the sofa."
"Once you really start exploring the Dungeon, you'll be exhausted."
Hestia refused firmly. Remembering that Takemikazuchi was still waiting, she smoothly changed the subject. "Let's go find your mentor first."
"You just arrived in Orario, so you probably don't know him."
"Takemikazuchi, the war god. We were pretty good friends back in Heaven. He's the god of martial arts and technique, and he's really skilled."
"I'm sure with his guidance, Xyros, you'll adapt to the Dungeon environment in no time."
She didn't even need to introduce him. Among the many gods in the original anime, the one whose face left the deepest impression on Xyros was Takemikazuchi's perpetually worried expression.
At this point in the timeline, the war god Takemikazuchi should be working alone at a fried potato snack stall, one of Orario's most famous broke gods.
But there was a clear difference between their situations.
His own goddess was lazy because she was too much of a homebody. Takemikazuchi, on the other hand, had to cover the daily expenses of an orphanage.
Because of his character, Xyros actually had a pretty good impression of the war god.
More importantly, a deity who could be on good terms with Hestia was unlikely to be aligned with anything evil.
Xyros looked forward to his upcoming adventurer life. "Thank you, Lady Hestia. I won't waste this opportunity."
Following the goddess to a room on the same floor of the dorms, they knocked softly. Without much waiting, the door slid open from the inside.
Standing before them was a tall man dressed in distinctly Far Eastern style clothing, wearing wooden clogs.
Takemikazuchi.
He looked at Hestia at his door, then at Xyros behind her. His tone was easygoing. "Hestia. This is your Familia member?"
"That's right."
"I might have to… trouble you from now on."
"Trouble? Not at all."
Takemikazuchi shook his head lightly, his gaze curious as he studied Xyros. "Xyros, your goddess mentioned you to me. You want to train in martial arts?"
"Yes, Lord Takemikazuchi."
Xyros had absolutely no mental hang-ups about addressing these deities, whose ages started in the billions of years, as "Lord."
Besides, he was about to learn combat skills from Takemikazuchi. Just like a patient hiding symptoms from a doctor, being evasive now was the worst thing you could do.
Under the god's observant gaze, his tone was frank:
"I've never been exposed to… any of this before. I was wondering where I should even start?"