Chapter 97 - A New Home
He fought head-on with the first class adventurer of the Loki Familia, Tiona Hiryute and matched her in speed and strength.
With such a record, no adventurer would dare challenge Roy again.
Unless they were first class, who could stand against him?
As a result, Roy's next opponents all forfeited.
Having achieved his goals—fame, funds, and a verified Falna—Roy considered the arena venture a success.
After collecting his winnings, Roy and Hestia left the arena.
Hestia, still giddy, clutched a Guild Bank check, careful not to lose it.
The sum, combining gambling profits and the arena's 5% cut, exceeded 150 million Valis—a fortune that could stun anyone in Orario.
"Hestia, where's a good place to buy a house?" Roy asked.
New to Orario, he knew little of its real estate, only that prices rivaled the most exorbitant capitals of his original world.
It was why he'd turned to the arena for quick cash.
"Heh…" Hestia chuckled awkwardly, clueless herself.
Since descending, she'd mostly holed up at Hephaestus's, venturing out only to the bookstore.
"Let's ask Hephaestus," Hestia suggested. "She's been in Orario forever and knows the place inside out."
They returned to Hephaestus's weapon shop.
As before, the shop was quiet, with only Hephaestus present, no customers in sight.
"What took you two so long?" Hephaestus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Granting Falna and registering at the Guild shouldn't have taken whole day.
"Hephaestus, I need a favor," Hestia said, leaning in with practiced ease.
"We agreed—no more handouts," Hephaestus said, arms crossed, waiting for Hestia's pitch.
"Not valis!" Hestia huffed.
"I just need advice on a good house to buy for our Hestia Familia."
"Buy a house?" Hephaestus blinked, surprised. "You serious?"
"Absolutely!" Hestia nodded, brimming with pride.
"You got the valis?" Hephaestus asked, skeptical.
"Ta-da!" Hestia flourished the Guild Bank check.
Hephaestus's eyes widened at the figure.
"Where'd you get that kind of check?"
She'd chatted with Roy earlier, knowing he lacked such funds, and Hestia, reliant on her, was flat broke.
Yet, in half a day, they'd secured a fortune.
The check's authenticity—unmistakable to Hephaestus, a regular at the Guild Bank—made it all the more shocking.
Hestia, relishing her friend's stunned reaction, gleefully recounted Roy's arena victories, culminating in his defeat of Tiona.
"You're saying Roy beat Tiona?" Hephaestus exclaimed.
"Yup! He made her surrender in the ring!" Hestia said, beaming.
"You're not pulling my leg? Or did you and Loki cook up some shady deal to stage it?" Hephaestus said, dubious.
A level 1 beating a level 5 was unheard of, even in Orario's storied history.
"I'd never team up with that sleaze Loki!" Hestia scoffed.
"If you'd been there, you'd know Roy's strength is legit. Loki even tried poaching him!"
"You're not lying?" Hephaestus's gaze grew complex, reading Hestia's earnestness.
Roy chimed in.
"I trained hard back home, so this strength isn't surprising."
Hephaestus's mouth twitched. Roy's casual tone downplayed the feat.
Matching first class adventurers without Falna wasn't just "talent" or "training"—it was near-mythical.
"Fine, everyone's got secrets," Hephaestus said, dropping the probe.
First class adventurers often had hidden edges, and Roy's was her business.
"But Hestia, you're reckless! Exposing his talent to buy a house? You asking for trouble?"
Hestia shrank, chastened.
"Luckily, beating her gives you some deterrence," Hephaestus said.
Like Loki, she knew Roy's fame would attract greedy gods, but his proven strength would make lesser Familias think twice.
"Be careful, and don't fall for others' schemes," Hephaestus said, taking Hestia's hand, listing precautions.
Hestia nodded dutifully.
"You want a house?" Hephaestus returned to the topic.
"I know a place—great environment, fully equipped, and cheap. The owner, a merchant from outside Orario, needs quick valis and is selling his mansion."
With Hephaestus's connections, Roy bought the mansion for 50 million Valis.
"Some furnishings can be sold off and replaced, so you can move in right away," Hephaestus said.
Hestia, thrilled, toured the mansion, ecstatic over its study packed with books.
Hephaestus frowned, sensing Hestia's tendencies resurfacing.
"Roy, you don't have a weapon yet, right?" Hephaestus asked, a thought striking her.
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