That's exactly how it is. Just looking at his lineage, Bell's background practically surpasses that of every adventurer in Orario.
After all, he's the only one with ties to both Zeus's Familia and Hera's Familia.
While those identities might seem mundane now—since both Familias have long fallen from their former glory and are more like disgraced phoenixes than majestic ones—the true standout isn't that layer of pedigree. It's his aunt, the one known as "Silence," the so-called "Incarnation of Talent."
She's the woman who took down Leviathan in a single strike, widely recognized as the most gifted individual in all of Orario.
And Bell is her nephew.
"My children don't have the same outrageous connections as yours. Zeus's Familia, Hera's Familia, and even ties to that talent monster—what a freaky family."
Just thinking about Bell's hidden identity made Loki blurt out the complaint.
That "Incarnation of Talent" is actually this kid's aunt? Are you kidding me!?
That "Silence" woman had once gone toe-to-toe with the Lv.9 Empress while only being Lv.7—and came out unscathed. That's not just crossing a level. That's crossing two!
If his aunt is that kind of monster, then of course her nephew would carry some of that "unreasonableness."
So after learning Bell's background, Loki couldn't help but vent her jealousy with nonstop grumbling.
"He's not that much of a freak."
Hestia pouted. She didn't care if Loki called everyone else weird, but it was different when it came to Bell-kun.
"Hestia."
"Hm?"
Hestia turned to Hephaestus, who had been subtly motioning with her eyes, reminding her of what Bell had asked her to show Loki earlier.
"Oh right, Loki. Since we'll likely be working more closely together in the future, I might as well let you in on something."
"???"
Loki's head was full of question marks. This shorty was keeping secrets from her?
Hestia walked over and grabbed the paper that had Bell's updated status.
Loki immediately recognized it as that kid's data, but she looked completely unimpressed.
"Is this really necessary? I thought your kid was only Lv.2. Why are you even flaunting this... What the hell!?"
Loki had already suspected the kid was probably Lv.3—her last probe had hinted as much. But when she saw the number on the status sheet, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
[Lv.4]
The updated status clearly showed Lv.4—not Lv.3.
All the basic stats were at I0, which meant he had just ranked up to Lv.4?
Was going from Lv.3 to Lv.4 that easy now?
Loki stared blankly at the updated status. It didn't show the exact numbers, but she knew they must've all hit their caps. Given that kid's personality, there was no way he would joke around with something as serious as his future.
So, if that kid wasn't joking, then the world had to be messing with her—Loki.
And that thought made her let out a hysterical scream.
"This kid's only been in Orario for three or four months, and he's already Lv.4? How the hell did he level up so fast?"
Even ascension doesn't move this fast!
Loki clearly remembered how long it took her own children to go from scratch to Lv.4—it took at least seven years.
Ais's growth was already considered incredibly fast, yet even she took six years to reach Lv.4.
Every time she leveled up, she'd max out her stats first before moving up.
Raising stats isn't easy. Once they hit a certain point, the growth rate slows dramatically. Even Finn and the others have been stuck at Lv.6 for ages. After each expedition, they're lucky if they gain one or two points.
So how did he reach Lv.4 in just three or four months? And with maxed-out stats no less?
Hestia clutched her ears, clearly overwhelmed by Loki's hysterical shrieking.
"Is it really worth getting this worked up over?"
"Is it necessary? You think it's not!?"
Seeing the shorty acting all "what's the big deal," Loki was half-laughing in frustration. This damn goddess was the textbook example of acting innocent after getting a good deal.
"I won't even bring up that brat's Authority, but even with that, how is he leveling up this fast? This... this is just outrageous!"
Yes, this was the moment Loki truly understood what it meant to be a "child of destiny."
She used to think Ais was the chosen one. Ais really did grow at a monstrous pace—breaking through Lv.2 in just a year, then climbing to Lv.6 in under ten. She was Orario's top prodigy, no doubt about it.
But even someone like Ais couldn't compare to that kid from the shorty's Familia.
Three or four months. Even giving him four, he went from nothing to Lv.4, picked up three Development Abilities—each of them rare types—and even had a universal Authority.
This setup was completely broken.
Loki couldn't help but want to report the kid for cheating.
"What about his magic and skills?"
Faced with Loki's barrage, Hestia just pouted.
"Come on. I already showed you his level and Development Abilities. Can't I keep a little mystery around his magic and skills?"
"My kid's secrets lie exactly in those areas. There's no way I'm putting them on display."
Of course that brat's magic and skills were the real trump cards!
Loki fumed silently. Today was supposed to be a good day, especially watching her own kids grow. But now she just felt miserable—completely in the dumps.
Hephaestus, seeing Loki sulking, gently tried to console her.
"Loki, your children are doing great too. You're just making the wrong comparison. How can you pit an ordinary child against one with Authority?"
"Finding another Bell with Authority in Genkai is basically impossible. So how could you expect your children to measure up to that?"
Her words were meant to be comforting, but to Loki, they hit all the wrong notes.
She knew it herself—comparing her kids to that damn brat was foolish. Just like Hephaestus said, you're not going to find another kid with Authority down here. Of course her children couldn't compete with someone like that.