The gods' gazes shifted to Zeus and Hera.
The two gods nodded helplessly.
"Indeed, just as Freya said. That child Bellerion didn't actually have particularly outstanding talent. He learned slowly, and his personality was relatively gentle. He was never cut out to be a hero."
Zeus had been observing Bell for a long time. After all, he was the last posthumous child of the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia. With someone like Alfia, an absurdly gifted aunt, it was only natural to keep a close eye on him.
But the results of that observation were deeply disappointing.
Bell's talent was the complete opposite of Alfia's.
Alfia was overwhelmingly extraordinary, while Bell was excessively ordinary.
So ordinary that he looked like a completely average person, someone who couldn't inspire even the slightest sense of surprise. It was nothing but regret.
Because Bell's talent wasn't exceptional, Zeus never tried to raise him as a hero.
Rather than turning Bell into a hero, Zeus hoped he would grow up to be someone like his father.
To pursue the woman he loved when he found her, to know his limits and retreat when necessary, instead of throwing himself headfirst into the Dungeon beneath Orario.
Zeus wanted Bell to live with his own goals, not with an unbearable burden placed on his shoulders. From the very beginning, Zeus had known that Bell wasn't a true hero, but a child who longed to become one.
To be honest, Zeus felt quite conflicted himself.
"I only just found out that the child's memories from his previous life awakened… and it happened right when I sent him toward Orario."
Indeed, who could have predicted something like that?
Seeing the frustration written all over Zeus's face, the gods could tell that he genuinely had emotions tied up in this. After all, who wouldn't? Watching your own child awaken right before leaving, especially when that child was heading toward another Familia God, was enough to unsettle anyone.
At the same time, the gods turned their attention back to the projection that continued to fast-forward.
They could see the child growing in his own way, evolving rapidly, and drawing closer to Orario at an accelerating pace.
"Does this really look like someone without talent?"
No matter how the gods looked at it, the child didn't seem talentless at all.
His growth rate and evolution speed were already pushed to the limit.
Along the way, he even developed night vision, allowing him to move swiftly through dense forests at night.
Even high-level adventurers didn't necessarily possess that ability, yet this child had evolved his eyesight simply while traveling.
That was anything but normal.
The scene quickly shifted to the outskirts of Orario.
The boy entered the city like any ordinary newcomer, passing a simple inspection at the gate before being allowed in.
His movements were quick and purposeful, his destination clear as he headed straight for the Guild. He concealed himself carefully, remaining cautious even when facing the guild receptionist.
He understood his own position very well and deliberately kept his profile low.
As an ordinary person who had just arrived in Orario, he didn't even consider joining any famous large familia. Instead, he aimed directly for a small familia with no members.
"At that time, Hestia was still out on the streets grabbing people, right?"
When the receptionist said there were "no memberless familias," the gods immediately realized what that meant. At the time, Hestia must still have been out recruiting people herself.
After receiving that answer, the boy didn't ask anything else. He stepped outside, asked a passerby for directions, learned about Hephaestus's shop, and went straight there.
"He really went straight for Hephaestus."
Because he knew about the relationship between Hestia and Hephaestus, he locked onto Hephaestus's shop as his target.
It was all to find Hestia, with Hephaestus's familia serving as a backup option.
So just what kind of charm did Hestia have? The gods couldn't help but grind their teeth.
Such a mysterious child had entered Orario and immediately set his sights on Hestia. Why her?
With so many gods in Orario, why did he choose Hestia specifically?
Bathed in the gods' looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment, Hestia couldn't have felt more satisfied.
No matter what, Bell had chosen her.
Even if fate had played a part, it still proved that the connection between her and Bell wouldn't be severed by any other twists.
Suddenly, the projection stopped.
This time, it really did seem to be over.
"Looks like it's truly stopped this time."
After confirming it several times, Zeus finally relaxed. His shoulders felt stiff. The projection had gone on for quite a while, and Bell's dungeon exploration was still in its adjustment phase, making it even longer than usual.
"Since neither side is starting anything else, let's all head home. Looks like we'll need an early start tomorrow."
It went without saying that the live dungeon exploration would resume the next morning.
Zeus needed time to settle his emotions. The brats he had once lost had returned, and tonight he wanted to have a good drink. Still, with another early trip to Babel Tower tomorrow, he couldn't overdo it.
"Exactly, exactly. We still need to watch Bell tackle the Dungeon tomorrow, so we should head back early and get some rest."
As she spoke, Hestia stood up and immediately pulled Artemis and Hephaestus along with her.
"See you tomorrow. We're heading out."
Hestia didn't bother with anything else. She just dragged them away.
This time, Hestia walked with a spring in her step. Their original purpose had been to cover for Bell, but who would've thought he'd complete his transformation today? Going home tonight was something worth celebrating.
The only regret was that Bell wouldn't be coming back today. Otherwise, it would've been the perfect day.
After Hestia left with Artemis and Hephaestus, Loki and Freya also stood up from their seats.
"Alright. Early start tomorrow."
Loki glanced over the other gods. This time, the smile on her face carried far less chill than usual.
"Loki, let's go together."
Freya didn't say anything more. Her attitude alone said enough.