The moon set and the sun rose. Last night's tailing incident caused no stir at all in Orario, a city overflowing with adventurers. Instead, with Denatus convening, Bell Cranel's level-up was officially confirmed. Shock and doubt poured in from every direction. Faced with this explosive, world-shaking growth, even the news of the Sword Princess advancing to Lv6 felt a little overshadowed.
That evening, after receiving Hermes' invitation, Bell headed to the Hostess of Fertility.
"What are you doing?"
"Thinking back on the mood during the meeting still gets me worked up," Hermes said from his seat on the tavern's second floor, sounding nostalgic.
"After all, what gods love most is the unknown. A level-up speed never seen before… of course it caused an uproar."
Asfi stood behind her Familia God, quietly agreeing.
"I'm on Bell's team, and even I can't wrap my head around it…" Laurier said from beside the boy.
Syr waited by the doorway, silently keeping watch over their private conversation.
"They call it Denatus, but it's really just casual chatter. Though giving names to those who leveled up… that part's actually pretty fun."
Hermes laughed and leaned forward.
"Bell-kun, what did you do to make the two titans of this city speak up on your behalf?"
...
The gods loved their festivities. For them, the naming ritual was mostly carried out with playful intent. Titles like [Angel], [Burning Fighting Fighter], and [Our Wife] were all full of humor and whimsy. Of course, as the Familia God of the one being named, each deity would do everything they could to protect their own child's dignity. Whether it was shutting other gods up with sheer strength or asking close friends for help, the naming ceremony at Denatus was always a place both cheerful and explosive.
But the moment Bell Cranel's name came up, the atmosphere flipped on its head. The weakest adventurer reaching Lv2 in just half a month—no god would let such a historic moment slip by. Even before the naming started, doubts were already rising.
"Even the Sword Princess needed a whole year. Half a month? Impossible."
"Faked his level? Or bribed the Guild?"
"Come on, maybe he has some special Skill?"
"Wait, something tied to growth? That'd be huge news!"
"Hestia, hurry and tell us—what's the truth?"
"That kid's unlucky being stuck with you. Send him to my Familia, I'll take good care of him!"
"Shut it, pervert Apollo. We're still at a banquet. Tone it down."
"Hestia, don't tell me you were desperate enough to use divine power?"
"How could I ever do something like that?!"
"Then talk. What's really going on?"
…
Each god reveled in the feast in their own way. Just as the mounting murmurs threatened to crush Hestia's petite frame, Loki—her longtime adversary—stepped forward.
"Hey, you lot, isn't this getting a bit much?"
"...When did Loki start siding with Hestia? Didn't she always call her 'shorty' before?" a male god questioned first.
"I just find this utterly boring. Look at the shorty—does she have enough money to bribe the Guild? Does she even have the skill to fake her level?"
The gods followed Loki's yawning gaze toward Hestia.
"True... A stubborn goddess like her would never do anything deceitful... ..."
"We misunderstood you, Poor Goddess."
"Mm..."
Hestia felt a pang of frustration at being scolded, but at least the questioning had finally died down. She suppressed her anger and exhaled deeply.
Yet amidst the laughter and cheer, the gods' curiosity remained unsatisfied.
"So this Bell Cranel must have some special skill, then?"
"A rare skill related to growth?!"
"Tell us, Hestia!"
Loki furrowed her brow slightly but remained silent. She had already offered her aid in her own way, repaying the boy for saving Ais. The rest didn't require Loki to speak.
Eager, probing gazes pierced Hestia, making it hard for her to breathe.
The next instant, a cold voice cut through the air.
"Don't you think this is a bit excessive?"
"...."
Hestia was taken aback by this unexpected intervention, while the other gods fell silent, stunned by the icy tone.
Under the gaze of the assembly, Freya spoke coldly:
"Probing into the specifics of ability values like this is a taboo within this city."
The gods shared an unspoken agreement: unless exceptional circumstances arose, they would not interfere in the internal affairs of other divine families. How they managed their affairs, how they grew—these were matters for each family alone. Hestia had no obligation to reveal the specifics of Bell Cranel's skills to anyone.
"When you encounter such an extraordinary child, of course you want to dig deep and find out everything!" a male god, brimming with curiosity, spoke up.
"Right!"
"Exactly!" several gods chimed in unison.
"Is that so..." Freya murmured softly. "To act on impulse despite knowing it's wrong—so you want me to become an accomplice to evil?"
The aloof Goddess of Beauty looked down on everything, her gaze radiating an icy coldness impossible to meet.
"...Well, we didn't exactly say that!"
"True... Actually, if you think about it, Bell Cranel narrowly escaped death and defeated the Minotaur. Even if it was luck, as an Excelia worthy of leveling up, that's more than enough."
"I agree. There's no need to obsess over skills or pursue answers at the cost of becoming villains. We'd never do something like that..."
Amidst the gods' defenses, Freya leaned back in her chair, indifferent and silent. She flicked a strand of silver hair, her thoughts seemingly drifting to distant horizons.
...
"Loki and Freya are both on your side—the odds are stacked in your favor..."
Hermes recalled the scene, still finding it hard to believe.
"Some things happened earlier..."
Bell didn't elaborate on the details. Loki helping was surely because he had saved Ais. But Freya… could it have something to do with Heith or Syr?
"Anyway, congratulations, World's Fastest Rabbit—Little Rookie."
Hermes spoke Bell's title.
"...Don't you think that title is a bit odd?"
Bell sighed softly. Little Rookie… it didn't sound heroic at all.
"You can thank that silver-haired goddess for that. Your naming discussion was basically led entirely by her, and once it went down the cute route, there was no turning back."
Hermes chuckled. "Trust me, Bell. Any other title would've been far worse."
"Is that so... Then let's get down to business."
Bell shifted the topic to the incident from the night before.
Unnoticed by him, Syr softly murmured the boy's title. She lifted the corners of her lips, watching over her lover with a sweet smile that was both adorable and sly.