Three days later, during their expedition into the depths of the dungeon…
At the top of the dungeon, in the majestic white Babel Tower, the gods were about to celebrate a much-anticipated gathering.
"It's the Denatus!" someone cried excitedly.
"Yay, yay! …Although, isn't it a bit delayed this time?"
"It's been more than 3 months since the last one."
"Of course! We were busy with the War of Familias!"
"And with Freya's downfall, we had more than enough to celebrate! The banquets featuring her humiliation as the main course were delicious!"
"Endless parties and days filled with laughter! Pfft, the Goddess of Beauty made a fool of herself! Right, Hathor?"
"Don't drag me into this! I was only swept up in your nonsense. I don't want more hate from that people's daughter!"
"Besides, it coincided with the return of the Academy."
"That's true! The merchants haven't rested since then. The merchant Familias were overflowing with work."
"Everyone wants to recruit the best talent from the Academy!"
"It's sad to admit it! But anyway, we're here now! Let the event begin, Magni and Modi!"
"—Let's go straight to the Naming Ceremony!!"
"—YEEEEEEEAAAAH!!"
The gods and goddesses screamed, cheered, and laughed in the great hall on the 30th floor of Babel, marking the start of the Denatus. Although they had complained about the delay, the attendance was probably the highest Hestia had ever seen.
Why were there so many gods present?
Why was the atmosphere so chaotic and euphoric?
With a dark, piercing expression, Hestia already knew the answer.
"—…It's all Bell's fault for leveling up again."
"—Master! Another level-up since the last Denatus! The adventurer is a bug!"
"—And this is the second time!"
"—What's his name!?"
"—Bell!!! Bell, you're incredible!! You've become a first-class adventurer!! I love you, Bell, more than Freya, more than anyone!! Accept my lo—!!"
"—Shut up."
"—Can someone please silence him?"
"—Another Apollo?! No, thanks!"
"—But I admit Bell was impressive in the War of Familias."
"—It was great how he fought alongside everyone to win. I'd like to congratulate him."
"—Did Hathor just say something serious!?"
The gods kept shouting and cheering, while Hestia, still wearing a piercing and dark expression, covered her ears and whispered to herself:
"—Don't casually call him Bell-kun… And we certainly don't need a second Title..."
Together with her, Hephaestus, Miach, and Takemikazuchi could only laugh in resignation.
"—At least Loki is busy with her expedition… but I can't let my guard down." Hestia sighed quietly to herself.
Reaching Level 5 was enough to make any adventurer the perfect prey for the gods. But adding to that the remarkable feat of the Factions' War…
It wasn't that Bell was the only impressive person in that battle, but it was him, alongside Hestia, who challenged the Goddess of Beauty and struck the final blow. So it was impossible for him not to become the center of attention.
In previous promotions, the impact of his achievements barely rippled through the center of Orario.
Of course, the record of the fastest rabbit in the world had already crossed borders, but it hadn't caused a worldwide explosion.
However, this time was different—the downfall of the Freya Familia was overwhelming and profoundly significant.
Hestia could feel it in her skin: the name of Bell Cranel, the First Class Adventurer, was at its peak, both inside and outside the city.
In short, the divine frenzy developing before her eyes was nothing more than a microcosm of the reaction in the mortal world.
"—Enough of this! It's time for the naming ceremony! Let's decide Bell's next alias!"
"—I have a brilliant idea! —[Hyper Ultra Hunter Shadow Tracker]!"
"—Bell might like it, but there's no way…"
"—Anything is fine if it makes Bell happy."
"—It's inevitable. We're on the Extra-Difficult Black Dragon route, after all. So at least this…"
"—Don't say it like it's a gift for his journey to the afterlife… That's sad… —[Tartar Groom, Bridegroom of the Underworld]?"
"—You're having way too much fun."
"—All right! My husband, Bell Flova!"
"—Get out of here, Syr!"
As the gods fell into their usual chaos, a young woman in a jade green uniform (ordered by the goddesses to serve them tea with a mischievous smile) sighed as she replaced the empty cups. Ignoring Hestia, who was already struggling to breathe, the Denatus kept heating up.
"—I want to give Bell a good name, but..."
"—Yes, we have no choice but to be careful. This is quite unprecedented."
"—Other than the Factions' War, isn't there any new information?!"
"—According to rumors, a beautiful half-elf at the academy is already madly in love with him."
"—Who does he think he is, the King of Conquests?"
"—He's going too fast!"
"—He doesn't need to be the fastest in the world, huh?"
"—At least it's not a NIKOPO or a NADEPO."
"—Don't insult Night of Night!"
"—He's our favorite! Watch what you say! You're going to regret it!"
"—Then how about…[New Generation Zeus]?"
"—NO!!!"
"That's a direct insult..."
A vein throbbed on Hestia's forehead.
"—You're damaging Bell's reputation more than ever!"
"—Don't make me remember that stupid old man..."
"—But the more I hear, the more I'm convinced there's no better option..."
"—…Should we go with[New Zeus]?"
"—ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!"
The small goddess's roar shook the round table. Now that the Hestia Familia had gone up to Rank B (almost S), openly making fun of them could make even the goddess of the home lose her patience. The male gods who previously looked down on Hestia could only click their tongues and grit their teeth.
"—But, honestly… are we really going to change Bell's alias now?"
—"In three months, at the next Denatus, he'll level up again."
—"Yes, he'll reach Level 6. It won't be like before… Ah, was it because of the experience he gained in the War of the Families?"
—"Wouldn't it be a waste of time to change it now?"
—"If at least a fun event happened, we could link it…"
—"Come on, are you gods or what?! Cheer up!"
—"It's a precious opportunity to make history for Bell!"
—"I warn you, I won't allow any embarrassing 'dark phase'!"
—"Alright, I, Magni, propose to put it on hold! The little goddess already made that clear."
—"I, Modi, suggest postponing the decision. No complaints, right? Let's finish with the other names first."
Thanks to Magni and Modi's intervention, the debate over Bell's new alias took an unexpected turn and was temporarily paused.
Hestia, surprised, decided to cling to her goal: keeping the previous name Rabbit Foot and protecting her followers.
—"Then, Lili's alias will be… [Little Great Master]!"
—"And Haruhime's… [Bearer of the Six Golden Lights]! For being Level 2, she has a presence worthy of a final boss!"
With the help of Hephaestus, Miach, and Takemikazuchi, they managed to avoid the most absurd names and came up with acceptable titles.
Lili's alias was a tribute to Bell's old title, Little Rookie, and evoked a certain tenderness.
On the other hand, Haruhime's provoked intense debates at first, with proposals like [Invincible Trap Vixen] and [Shining Deadly Tail]. However, under Hestia's pressure, the gods made a serious decision.
Finally, the name [Bearer of the Six Golden Lights] was accepted, reflecting the "level boost" revealed in the War of the Families.
Although Hestia wanted a cuter and more elegant name for Haruhime, she gave in to the compromise.
—"Ugh, this short goddess is annoying."
—"Yeah, the loli with big assets is a nuisance. Six months ago, she was still our toy."
—"Why do you all rebel against me but not against Loki or Freya?!"
After a while, the gods kept murmuring resignedly. But then...
—"Hey, this is bad!"
The doors of the hall burst open. A god rushed in, panting, urgently pointing outside.
—"Something huge is happening out there!"
However, his satisfied smile revealed that more than urgency, he had found a new form of entertainment.
Floor 15 of the dungeon. Having gathered enough 'drop items' and fulfilled the forced expedition mission requirements, the Hestia Familia was heading back to the surface.
After passing through the 'Jungle Canyon,' the 'Water Labyrinth,' and the 'Great Tree Labyrinth,' upon reaching this 'Rocky Grotto Labyrinth,' the atmosphere in our group began to calm down.
Although we couldn't let our guard down, since even advanced adventurers could make mistakes in this area, compared to facing dinosaurs, Welf and the others seemed much more relaxed.
Now, without using the level boost, Ryuu and I, as first-class adventurers, were at the rear of the formation.
—"Nina, you did a great job. You just joined the group and already it's amazing."
—"No, it's not that much. I couldn't help directly in the fight..."
I spoke to Nina, who was walking just ahead of me while keeping watch around us. The young and promising healer hugged her long staff to her chest, clearly embarrassed. I walked beside her and smiled.
—"As we learned at the academy, roles in a dungeon are very important. Your healing magic was a great help to the group."
—"Really?"
—"Yes, it gave peace of mind to those on the front lines, and allowed Ryuu, who usually supports us, to focus on fighting. Thank you."
—"Wow... that's great."
By sincerely expressing what I thought, Nina smiled and blushed. Her attitude softened a bit, showing the smile and mannerisms she used with her classmate, Rapi.
Smiling at the scene, I pointed straight ahead.
—"Also... look at Lili's face."
—"She really looks radiant..." Nina murmured.
—"Yes, it's because thanks to Nina we didn't have to use any recovery potions."
Even from behind, you could see how satisfied Lili was. Her profile reflected happiness as she swung her backpack full of supplies, as if she wanted to start jumping at any moment.
Nina and I exchanged looks, trying not to laugh.
—"Attention, enemies ahead! 'Hellhounds' and 'Ligerfangs'!"
Mikoto's voice broke the air from the front.
Monsters that were out of sight began to emerge from a side hole.
—"Welf, Mikoto! Take care of the bigger ones. Haruhime, Nina! There are few, so Lili and the others can gain experience here."
—"Understood!"
—"Y-yes!"
Lili instantly changed her expression and started giving orders. She drew her hand crossbow, while Haruhime prepared her fan and Niina waited for my nod before following. Ryuu and I did nothing; We watched the battle from behind, just as Lili said: it was time to gain experience.
If anything happened, we would intervene immediately, but there was nothing to worry about. The five in her group were Level 2; their strength was more than enough for this floor.
They had all become so strong that they didn't need our help.
—"Her magic is comparable to that of royalty," Ryu commented, stopping beside me as we watched Niina and the others fight.
—"Huh? Ryu?" I asked, surprised.
—"N-no... it's nothing. It's just important that the Familia recognizes the exceptional talent she possesses."
For a moment, his sky-blue eyes looked filled with respect. However, he slightly shook his head. On his face remained only a friendly smile directed at a future comrade.
—"I look forward to the day she formally joins the Familia."
—"Yes!"
I smiled and nodded.
Afterward, we faced a few more battles, but Lili and the others handled them without any trouble. The Hestia Familia left the "middle level" and ascended toward the "upper level." We quickly advanced through a safe zone and finally returned to the surface.
—"Hmm?"
—"What's going on? The 'Adventurers' Street' sounds louder than usual…"
The feeling that something strange was happening reached us shortly after.
We left "Babel," crossed the Central Plaza, and headed northwest in the city to do the conversion and mission report.
But we stopped dead in our tracks when we saw what was going on.
Adventurers' Street, one of the main arteries in the northwest, was overflowing with people. The crowd was so dense that it was almost impossible to walk. It was as if people from all over the city had gathered there.
—"Another god up to some nonsense?"
—"Although it looks like a crowd of onlookers, everyone seems confused…"
While Welf and Mikoto argued, we tried to push forward as best we could.
However, as we got closer to the Guild Headquarters, the noise grew deafening.
It was impossible to continue along the main street, so we followed Lili and Ryu's advice, taking shortcuts and alleys until we had a clear view of the Pantheon, the Guild building.
—"Bring out whoever's responsible!"
—"We demand full information! It's our right!"
The clamor of the crowd thundered, turning into shouts of protest.
(This isn't normal...)
The chaos and anger in the air didn't fit with the usual Orario.
Instinctively, we quickened our pace. But then, I saw Nina begin to pale.
—"Niina, are you okay?" I asked, worried.
—"This feeling... Don't tell me... everyone from the 'School District'..."
She barely seemed to hear me, and her words were just a whisper.
I didn't need to ask what she meant. The answer arrived on its own.
Following Ryu as he jumped between buildings, we reached a nearby rooftop. What we saw from there left me speechless.
—"We will not allow the Guild's oppression!"
—"WE WON'T ALLOW IT!"
In front of us was a crowd. People, people, and more people—all dressed the same: white shirts and burgundy ties. The uniform of the "School District."
The entrance of the Guild was packed with students.
—"What the hell is this!?"
—"Are they all students from the 'School District'?"
Lili and Haruhime exclaimed in amazement. I felt the same.
In front of the Guild headquarters, a few employees and members of the Ganesha Familia tried to hold back the students, but it was useless. From inside the building, I could see adventurers frozen in shock and the Guild master, a chubby elf, with his mouth wide open.
—"We protest against the forced confiscation of Orichalcum, the strongest metal!"
—"OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
At the front of the crowd, a human girl wearing glasses held up a magical amplifier. Her voice rang out loudly, inciting the others.
—"This is..." — I murmured.
—"A 'Student Revolution'..." — Niina said in a trembling voice, completing Ryu's words.
Her hands trembled as she clutched her uniform, the symbol of the "School District." Her green eyes, so similar to Eina's, were fixed on the scene.
—"When great powers or regions oppress students, the 'School District' always raises its voice and mobilizes society... This has happened all over the world."
—"And now it's happening in Orario...?"
I nodded nervously at Nina's fearful statement.
I didn't know the details of student demonstrations, but it didn't take much to realize that a protest with such a large number of participants couldn't be taken lightly.
What was going to happen now?
Would something serious occur?
Or would it all be resolved without consequences?
However, the students' voices answered my doubts almost immediately.
—"We demand the withdrawal of the Orichalcum confiscation order! If our demands are not heard, we will suspend recruitment calls, internship experiences with families, and consider severing ties with Orario!"
—"Eh... ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"
Amid the astonishment of Lili and the others, Nina's and my loud screams echoed into the evening sky.