After spending the morning searching, Su Hai and Hestia, with the help of the Adventurer's Guild, finally purchased a two-story villa located on the outskirts of Orario for nearly three million Farleys.
"Ahai, this is wonderful!"
"This will be the residence of our Hestia Familia from now on!"
Standing in the courtyard of their new home, Hestia looked around happily.
Although the villa was only two stories high, it had a large courtyard filled with various exotic flowers and plants native to this world. In the center of the courtyard stood a pavilion where one could sit, sip tea, and relax.
The first floor of the villa housed a spacious hall, while the second floor had several bedrooms—seven or eight in total. Though modest in size, it was more than enough for the small Hestia Familia.
Seeing Hestia's joyful expression, Su Hai couldn't help but smile as well.
After finalizing the purchase, the two returned to Hephaestus' residence to gather Hestia's belongings.
"Congratulations, Hestia."
"I'm truly happy that you've found a family of your own."
Hephaestus, although smiling, couldn't hide a hint of sadness at seeing her friend leave. However, her joy for Hestia's newfound happiness outweighed any feelings of loneliness.
After a long day of moving and organizing, everything was finally settled.
That night, Su Hai quickly fell asleep in his new room. In his dreams, he felt the warmth of a gentle embrace holding him close.
The next morning, Su Hai woke up feeling refreshed.
As he descended the stairs, he found Hestia sleeping soundly on the living room sofa. She clutched a pillow tightly, murmuring in her sleep.
"Hehehe… Ah Hai… hmm…"
Her unrestrained posture and sleepy smile made Su Hai chuckle.
"She must've been too excited last night," he thought.
Quietly approaching her, he picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor and gently draped it over her. After making sure she was comfortable, Su Hai stepped out of the villa and headed toward Orario's central dungeon.
Unbeknownst to Su Hai, Hestia had opened her eyes and watched him leave with a soft expression.
Her gaze lingered on the door long after he was gone.
The labyrinth city of Orario was vast, and the villa's location on the outskirts meant Su Hai had to walk farther than before. Still, he reached the dungeon entrance in good time.
As he approached the familiar square in front of Babel Tower, he didn't stop to admire the view, heading directly toward the dungeon entrance.
"Adventurer-sama, do you need a supporter?"
A soft, timid voice called out to him.
Su Hai turned his head to see the speaker. At first, he spotted a massive army-green backpack, and beneath it, a petite girl with short red-purple hair and big, curious eyes peeking out from under a white cloak.
"Liliruca Arde?" Su Hai recognized her immediately.
Liliruca, the Chienthrope girl who once struggled with trust and betrayal, eventually found a home with the Hestia Familia.
"Hello, my name is Su Hai," he said with a friendly smile, pretending not to know her.
"I do need a supporter to help carry supplies. What's your name?"
"Hello, Su Hai-sama," Liliruca replied, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
Something about Su Hai felt different—unlike the other adventurers who usually looked down on supporters, his gaze held no disdain.
"You can just call me Lily."
Despite her polite smile, Su Hai noticed her subtle glance toward the Sun Blade at his waist.
Su Hai's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. He already knew about Lily's troubled past and her mistrust of adventurers. If she truly intended to steal from him, she would soon learn the consequences.
"If that's the case, then follow me. Today, you're my supporter."
With that, Su Hai turned and walked toward the dungeon entrance.
Lily hesitated for a moment before adjusting the oversized backpack on her shoulders and hurrying to catch up.
Entering the dungeon, Su Hai and Lily quickly reached the first floor.
The walls on either side of the passage began to shift, and within moments, a group of goblins emerged with hungry growls.
"Su Hai-sama, these are goblins—the most common monsters on the upper floors. They're easy to deal with alone, but in large numbers, they can be dangerous. It's best to finish them off quickly," Lily advised, her voice calm despite the approaching threat.
Seeing Su Hai standing still, she frowned slightly.
"Is he nervous?" she wondered, mistaking his calm demeanor for fear.
After all, Su Hai wore no armor and carried only a single sword. Combined with his unfamiliar face, Lily assumed he was a rookie adventurer.
"Breath of Thunder: Fifth Form—Heat Lightning!"
Before Lily could react, Su Hai moved.
A yellow flash of lightning streaked through the air as Su Hai drew his Sun Blade and charged into the horde of goblins.
Lightning crackled around his blade as he weaved through the monsters with incredible speed. Each slash left behind scorched wounds as goblins fell one after another, their bodies bursting into blue motes of light that vanished into the air.
Within seconds, the passage fell silent, the only sound being the faint hum of residual electricity.
Lily stood frozen in place, staring at Su Hai with wide eyes.
"W-what was that…?"
She had seen many powerful adventurers, but none who moved with such speed and precision. His technique was unlike anything she had ever witnessed.
Su Hai sheathed his sword with a faint click, breaking Lily out of her trance.
"Don't just stand there—pick up the magic stones," he said with a smile.
"Ah! Y-yes!"
Flustered, Lily quickly began collecting the glowing purple stones left behind by the fallen goblins.
As she worked, she couldn't help but steal glances at Su Hai, her mind racing with questions.
"Who is he? A rookie shouldn't be this strong… Could he be from a famous familia?"
Despite her curiosity, Lily kept her thoughts to herself. After all, her true goal wasn't just to support Su Hai—she had her own plans as well.
But as she glanced at the Sun Blade resting casually at Su Hai's waist, she couldn't shake the feeling that stealing from this particular adventurer might be more dangerous than she had anticipated…
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