"I didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Thank you, Hephaestus."
The transfer process had gone remarkably well, and Hephaestus had played an indispensable role.
Without Hephaestus, Hestia was sure Soma would have agreed to let Lili leave, but it wouldn't have been nearly as straightforward.
"You're welcome."
"By the way, what's next on your agenda?" Hephaestus asked with a gentle nod.
It wasn't often that she got to spend time with Hestia, and Hephaestus wasn't ready to part ways just yet.
"I'm planning to buy a mansion. Would you mind coming along to give me some advice?" Hestia replied with a smile.
"Of course," Hephaestus agreed without hesitation.
The group soon arrived at the Guild.
Once there, Orsted separated from Hestia and the others.
Hestia and Hephaestus went to find the staff in charge of housing, while Orsted went to see Eina.
"Even though I was prepared, I'm still shocked that you rank up in just half a month," Eina said, looking at Orsted's newly updated record with a mix of awe and disbelief.
She had watched Orsted's growth from the beginning and knew how extraordinary his progress was.
If not for the excelia requirement, Orsted would have been a Level 2 week ago.
"Now, Orsted, please tell me about your adventures. This is the Guild's standard procedure," Eina flipped to a new page and prepare to record Orsted's exploits.
Orsted hesitated for a moment before responding.
"What's wrong?" Eina asked, noticing his hesitation.
"It's nothing. I'm just worried you might find it hard to believe," Orsted laughed, then began recounting his adventures.
Eina knew Orsted had been growing rapidly and that he had ventured into the middle floors, but she hadn't thought he would face Minotaurs.
The was shocking.
If word got out, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation across Orario.
After all, a Level 1 adventurer taking on Minotaurs—and defeating them in waves—was unprecedented.
However, Orsted didn't want to deceive Eina.
She had always been sincere in her support, and he trusted her.
Moreover, the Guild wouldn't publicize such extraordinary achievements.
Doing so would only encourage reckless behavior among adventurers.
This was how the Guild had handled Bell's info in the anime—by keeping it under wraps.
After a moment of thought, Orsted decided to tell Eina the full truth.
Aside from not wanting to deceive her, Orsted also wanted to increase his standing within the Guild—or rather, with Ouranos.
Ouranos would likely take a special interest in an adventurer with such immense potential, which would benefit the Hestia Familia in the long run.
"Orsted, did you specifically target Minotaurs?" Eina asked, her pen slipping from her hand as she listened to Orsted's story.
When she heard that Orsted had wiped out several waves of Minotaur monster parties, eliminating over 200 Minotaurs, she was left speechless.
"Yes, that's right," Orsted confirmed with a nod.
Eina fell silent for a moment.
Then—
"Orsted, you big fool!!!"
Her shout echoed through the room, drawing the attention of adventurers and Guild staff alike. Heads popped out from cubicles as people turned to see what was happening.
"Sorry, sorry!" Eina quickly apologized, her face flushing with embarrassment.
The onlookers gradually returned to their tasks.
"Orsted, tell me the truth. What were your basic abilities before you rank up?"
"Don't worry, I won't record it," Eina said, leaning closer and speaking in a low voice.
Orsted hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
He trusted Eina completely.
She had proven her integrity time and again, and in the anime, she had kept Bell's abilities a secret.
Orsted didn't want to hide anything from her.
Eina wasn't like Lili, who had been by his side during his adventures and knew the extent of his growth.
Eina only knew that his strength had been improving rapidly, but she didn't know just how strong he had become.
If he didn't tell her, she would only worry.
As a friend, Orsted didn't want to cause her unnecessary concern.
After listening, Eina froze, her eyes flickering as she processed the information.
Her mind was in turmoil, but after a long moment, she finally calmed down.
"No wonder," she said, summing up her thoughts in just two words.
No wonder Orsted had been able to accomplish so much.
With these unheard basic abilities, even without ranking up, Orsted had strength more than enough to handle Minotaurs.
"It seems I was worrying too much. Sorry, Orsted," Eina smiled, her expression softening.
"It's fine. I'm glad you care so much about me," Orsted replied with chuckle.
"By the way, Eina, I have a gift for you," Orsted added, pulling out the amulet he had crafted for her.
"What is this?" Eina asked, taking the item and looking at Orsted in confusion.
"It's something I made. It's a piece of magic item that can protect you from harm without requiring much mana," Orsted explained.
"Items… Magic items?"
"Your development ability is Mystery?" Eina's hands trembled slightly.
"Yes."
"This is a precious gift. I'll accept it. If you ever need anything in the future, don't hesitate to come to me."
"Now, Orsted, let's go over your adventure story again," Eina said, picking up her pen.
She had been too shocked earlier to record everything properly.
"Alright."
Soon, they finished the recording.
"Eina, I'll be going now."
"Take care," Eina replied, holding the file and waving gently.
Orsted nodded and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Eina tightened her grip on the amulet.
"Orsted, you gave this to me…"
"What should I do?"
---
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