Chapter 1 The God Who Found a Treasure
"Name?"
"Arthur pendragon."
"Race?"
"Human."
"Why are you in Orario?"
"Hmm—to make a living."
Hearing this somewhat casual reply, Hashana, the senior adventurer in charge of recording information, put down her pen and paper and looked up, scrutinizing the young man before her.
Silver hair and silver eyes, his demeanor was too clean to have just arrived from a long journey, and the black and white uniform he wore was a strange style she had never seen before.
'This young man doesn't look strong enough.'
Hashana shook her head to herself, a hint of undetectable pity flashing in her eyes, but still offered advice as someone experienced.
"To make a living in Orario, you need a skill. We are too ordinary compared to other races. Good luck to you."
"I see, thank you for the reminder."
Arthur calmly accepted her good intentions, nodded in acknowledgment, and then strode deeper into the city gate.
Stepping into the city, it was as if he passed through an invisible barrier, and a deafening wave of sound washed over him.
The clamor fiercely assaulted Arthur's eardrums, revealing the prosperity and vitality of this labyrinthine city to him without reservation.
"Fresh fruit! Fresh fruit that even picky Elves rave about!"
"Don't walk by, don't miss it! Clothing designed specifically for Beastmen friends, full range of styles, durable and hard-wearing!"
"To all the Amazons, our shop has just received a batch of exquisite equipment forged by Dwarf masters. Won't you come and take a look?"
"Delicious fried potato balls! The best snack on North Street! Only thirty Valis for one serving!"
Names that only existed in stories or fantasies now exploded vibrantly in his ears.
Arthur's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he looked around at all the bizarre and colorful sights with great interest.
To him, every corner here was filled with unprecedented novelty.
"Fuwu~"
A faint but displeased whimper emerged from Arthur's collar, startling him into quickly looking down and gently stroking the restless little creature with his fingertips.
"Shh! Just a little longer. We know nothing about this place. It would be bad if people mistook you for a rare monster."
"Fuwu?"
Arthur skillfully weaved through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, explaining in a low voice to his collar.
"To quickly understand the situation, a bookstore is a good choice; the information is comprehensive and reliable. Of course, places like taverns, where all sorts of people gather, can also provide a lot of rumors."
"I personally prefer a bookstore."
"Fuwu!"
"Are you hungry? But we don't have a single coin right now."
"Fuwu..."
The little creature's voice immediately wilted, filled with disappointment.
Arthur touched his own equally empty stomach and sighed helplessly.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a dozen peculiar stones that shimmered with a faint blue glow, then pouted.
"I wonder if these things can be exchanged for some money. We'll try anything, go find a place and give it a shot."
...
The Benevolent Mistress.
Loki, the red-haired Goddess, slightly tipsy and unsteady on her feet, stumbled to her feet.
She grumpily brushed the dust from her clothes, still indignantly complaining about the violent treatment she had just received.
"Mia Mama's temper is getting worse and worse. I just wanted to get along with the young and sweet waitresses. What did I do wrong!"
"I wonder where Ais and the others are on their expedition. How annoying! I'm so bored! Why can't I find any fun lately!"
"Fuwu!"
"Fuwu?"
Loki repeated the strange, never-before-heard cry, and with bleary, drunken eyes, she craned her neck to look towards the secluded alley beside the tavern.
The first thing that entered her sight was a peculiar creature squatting on the ground.
Its fur was snow-white, so pure it had no trace of dirt, resembling both a fox-dog and a squirrel.
In stark contrast to this pure little beast were three adventurers lying on the ground, twitching, bruised, and swollen, and—
Standing in front of them, slowly stretching his wrists, was the silver-haired young man, Arthur.
"Hey, don't play dead on the ground. I haven't finished asking my questions."
"Ugh... private fights between Familia... will be severely punished by the Guild... You... aren't you afraid of getting into trouble!"
"The one who started it really has the nerve to say that."
Arthur chuckled, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"Don't worry about me, I haven't joined a Familia yet."
As a sharp-nosed Goddess of mischief who loved chaos, Loki was instantly intrigued by this unexpected scene.
Moreover, she had some recollection of the three unfortunate individuals on the ground.
These few had also been drinking and bragging at The Benevolent Mistress earlier, seemingly celebrating their captain's promotion to Level 2.
But they drank too much and lost control, insisting on causing trouble, and were thrown out by the robust female proprietress before she was.
'A Level 2 with two Level 1s, easily taken down by a young punk who hasn't even joined a Familia yet?'
Loki's narrow eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, an inscrutable divine intent flickering in their depths.
She swung her vermilion ponytail and, with seemingly casual but actually precise steps, swayed into the alley.
"Kid, I really like you. Do you want to join my Familia?"
Arthur had actually noticed the red-haired woman observing them earlier.
He turned his head, scrutinizing the Goddess who exuded an air of impropriety and unreliability from head to toe, and directly laid out his condition.
"I don't like being bound by rules. Do you dare to have a member like that?"
Upon hearing this, Loki's drunkeness largely dissipated, and then a wicked smile spread across her lips.
"Interesting. Who do you think I am? I, Loki, don't care for those who always follow the rules!"
'Loki?'
Arthur was startled, discreetly observing the Goddess before him, who, though of average build, was indeed female.
'She's a woman?'
...
Twilight Manor, the headquarters of the Loki Familia.
With the main force deep in the Dungeon on an expedition, the vast hall seemed cold and deserted, with only a few figures moving about.
In the cluttered living room, Loki casually tossed the items from a chair aside, gesturing for Arthur and Fufu to follow her in.
"So, you just arrived in Orario today? And you knew nothing about Familia or the Divine Blessing before?"
Arthur, who was feeding Fufu biscuits, nodded and then shook his head.
"I just arrived, but I've heard some rumors along the way."
According to Arthur's understanding, a Familia was a developmental power structure centered around a deity, engaging in activities such as trade, farming, and exploration.
The Divine Blessing, on the other hand, was power bestowed by deities, allowing people to break their limits and continuously grow stronger.
Arthur took off his shirt, lay prone on the cool chair back, turned his head to Loki, and asked the question he cared about most.
"Loki, how much stronger will I become after receiving the Blessing?"
"I say, kid, you're not treating my Blessing like some instant, powerful buff, are you?"
"Isn't it?"
Hearing Arthur's retort, Loki shook her head, unperturbed, and casually explained.
"Completely wrong. The Blessing is more like a growth accelerator that we engrave into our children's bodies."
Arthur's face was full of confusion: "Accelerator?"
Loki took a thin needle from the table, pricked her finger, and continued to explain.
"The Gods unanimously believe that the children of the Lower World possess infinite potential, and the Blessing is to guide this potential out, acting as an accelerator for growth."
Saying this, Loki dripped her divine blood onto Arthur's back and began to engrave the Blessing pattern.
"Using the blood of a God as a medium, the potential within you will manifest in the form of sacred script."
"It represents your life up to this point and will also reflect your deepest desires."
Arthur was now oblivious to the cool sensation on his back; Loki's explanation of the Blessing caused him to fall into a brief trance.
His thoughts uncontrollably drifted back to that white fortress, Chaldea, perpetually covered in ice and snow, isolated from the world.
'Life... desires... potential?'
Boom!!!
A chaotic, almost uncontrollable magical storm erupted suddenly around Arthur without warning.
The strong airflow instantly swept through the entire room. Loki, who had just finished engraving the Blessing, was caught off guard and sent tumbling like a gourd, crashing directly into the conference table, startling Fufu into bristling.
The Wicked Goddess had no time to mind the pain, her gaze fixed on the sacred script that had just formed on Arthur's back, radiating an unprecedented light.
Shock, disbelief, ecstasy...
All sorts of emotions flashed across her face, finally transforming into an uncontrollable, crazed smile.
"Such a thing actually exists?"
"This time—I've really struck gold!"