"Lady Hestia, I don't need to think about these matters yet. I don't believe things have reached that level. While leveling up is very important, what I need isn't the conventional method everyone knows, but an unknown upgrade path. Even if I want to improve, I think it's better to rely on my own abilities."
Bell had decided from the start that even if it meant progression, it was better not to tell anyone. One's level could be falsely reported. Of course, false reporting didn't mean reporting a level up, but rather a level down. Naturally, the other side of this was debt. Human favors were often the hardest to repay.
Once Lady Hestia owed Goddess Loki a favor, the entire familia would face the threat of being dominated by the Loki Familia. And owing such a favor just for progressing from Level 1 to Level 2? Bell felt it wasn't worth it. Moreover, this debt would affect his own hidden plans, so it shouldn't be done.
"But Bell, it's very dangerous for you to challenge stronger monsters alone. If you have the Loki Familia watching over you, you'll at least be much safer."
"Safety is one thing, but what should and shouldn't be exposed will be completely revealed. And next time, when Lady Hestia repays the favor or truly needs to confront Goddess Loki... I can't stop this."
"Alright..."
Hestia could almost picture the scene where she wouldn't be able to hold her head high. To be honest, she absolutely didn't want to approach that unpleasant person called Loki. Despite being so... that, it was unbelievable she'd have to bow her head to that flat-chested goddess. Was she really willing to do this for Bell's safety? Otherwise, she'd have to bow to that flat chest? Hmph!
But Bell was right - if they went to Loki, their situation would be completely exposed. Considering Bell's circumstances, he shouldn't have too much contact with them. It wasn't appropriate for Bell to appear before so many gods, at least not until he was more mature.
Seeing Goddess Hestia had calmed down, Bell continued with the earlier topic. "Lady Hestia, I'm still in the accumulation phase. It's too early to think about advancement. Also, Lady Hestia, today in the dungeon I discovered a fragment of wisdom about eliminating monsters."
"Really?"
"Yes. Actually, I don't know why I was so lucky in the dungeon today. Most monsters on the first floor were goblins, and I was just getting familiar with the dungeon atmosphere. Then while killing goblins, I discovered that besides magic stones, goblins also drop goblin daggers."
Hestia reacted immediately to Bell's words. She had just updated Bell's status and obtained his second skill, "Heavenly Luck," which essentially boosted luck. This didn't surprise Hestia too much. After all, the skills had already manifested, so even if goblins dropped some weapons, it wasn't a problem.
Hestia knew something about goblin shortswords too. Having previously stayed at Hephaestus's place, she was naturally sensitive to things like weapons. "First-floor goblins have very sharp knives that pose a great threat to adventurers, but if dropped, they're quite good starter weapons too."
"From what I remember, goblin daggers are very rare drops. But if you got one, Bell-kun, you wouldn't need to change weapons for a long time. Goblin daggers are extremely useful for beginner adventurers - you wouldn't need to switch weapons until at least mid-level."
Naturally, Bell knew this must be a good thing. The biggest expenses for novice adventurers were weapons and potions needed for progression. Of course, he didn't have much to say. Bell knew Lady Hestia clearly hadn't grasped the issue, so he emphasized it.
"Lady Hestia, please pay attention. The goblins I mentioned weren't just dropping simple knives."
Hestia paused briefly. "Were there many goblin knives?" she unconsciously asked, then remembered goblin knives were supposed to be extremely rare. Seeing Bell's serious emphasis, Hestia grew curious.
"Bell-kun, how many drops are you talking about?"
"284."
"..."
Hestia was silent for a while. Covering her face unconsciously, she began wondering if her ears had heard wrong. After taking a deep breath, Hestia repeated the numbers she'd just heard to confirm with Bell.
"Lord Bell, what did you just say?"
"284."
"Goblin daggers?"
Bell nodded slightly.
Confirming she hadn't misheard, Hestia couldn't help but exclaim "Hey!" Anyone hearing that number would be shocked, and it was natural to make such a stunned sound. However, after the initial shock, Hestia recovered somewhat.
"That many? All goblin daggers? Bell-kun, what in the world did you do in the dungeon today?"
284 goblin daggers was too astonishing. Hestia wondered what Bell had been doing in the dungeon to get so many goblin dagger drops.
Truthfully, Bell himself didn't know what he'd done until leaving the dungeon. Today he hadn't entered with any special plans. At most, he'd just been experiencing the dungeon atmosphere and preparing to advance to the second or even third floor later. Killing goblins happened because they appeared before him, and it coincided with his desire to hone his skills.
As for why there were so many drops... Bell wasn't even sure about that himself. He'd done his best to kill goblins while conserving strength - partly to test his "Liaris Freese" limits, partly to accumulate startup funds. Who knew he'd kill so many goblins and get so many dagger drops in one day? Honestly, Bell was innocent regarding Hestia's question.
"My goddess! I really didn't do anything special. I just wanted to kill some goblins to get familiar with the dungeon, collect magic stones, and earn money. Then before I knew it, I'd killed many goblins and got many dagger drops."
Hestia unconsciously held her chin. Though a new goddess in Orario, she knew much about dungeons. With 284 goblin daggers, the worst scenario would be encountering 284 goblins. That wasn't a small number - how could there be so many goblins on the first floor? The drop rate was one issue, the goblin numbers another.
But Hestia quickly set those questions aside. In any case, Bell had returned safely, even if he'd encountered extra goblins.
"Let's not dwell on that, Lord Bell. Anyway, more drops are always good."
"Are they just those goblin daggers? You're not planning to take them to the Guild, are you?"
Hestia was smiling as she spoke.
To Hestia, it seemed impossible that Bell would sell such items through the Guild. After all, if a place like the Guild got involved, the gods would soon hear about Bell. But this shouldn't even be in question - Bell was a cautious and meticulous boy who definitely wouldn't make such a careless mistake.
Hestia was right... partially.
Anyone with experience in Orario would find alternative channels to dispose of such items, especially ones that would draw too much attention. The problem was Bell had only been in the city for two days and lacked knowledge about these special circumstances.
So... he'd made a mistake.
Hearing Hestia's words, Bell couldn't help but blush. He'd been incredibly naive - he'd gone straight to the Guild with all those goblin daggers. Instead of considering alternative channels like approaching Hephaestus, he'd planned to handle everything through the Guild. This left him speechless for a moment.
Hestia laughed for a while, but when she heard no response from Bell, her laughter died down. Then she looked at Bell, whose face showed an unusual flush, and her expression tensed. She had to ask.
"Bell-kun... you didn't take them to the Guild, did you?"
"...Uhh..."
Hestia's eyes widened like saucers.
She couldn't believe it. How could Bell, always so prudent, make such a basic mistake? Didn't he know? Even though the Guild was a formal organization, its internal structure was more porous than a sieve. Anyone who wanted information could extract it from there.
"Bell-kun, didn't you know? A place like the Guild trades in information. Not just dungeon data, but internal secrets too. Anything of value gets leaked."
"Lady Hestia... I've only been here two days."
Ah, right! Bell was a country bumpkin new to Orario.
Hestia facepalmed. Since Bell didn't act like a rookie, she'd unconsciously assumed he knew these things. But the fault was hers - as his patron goddess, she should have warned him.
But now the damage might be done. What if someone at the Guild had already leaked information about Bell to other gods? Just thinking about it enraged her.
Seeing Hestia's worried expression, Bell also felt embarrassed.
Truthfully, when handling the daggers, he'd acted on instinct. It was his first experience, and he'd forgotten the Guild could be problematic. The receptionist Eina had already told him the same thing.
Thinking of Eina, Bell suddenly reacted.
"Oh gods... I also asked Eina-san for help when I went to the Guild. Because of the goblin daggers, I told her some of my situation."
"Eina... Eina Tulle? The Guild's star receptionist?"
The image of the half-elf immediately appeared in Hestia's mind. She knew her, having had recent contact.
Eina wasn't a bad person and treated people seriously. But Hestia wasn't sure she'd keep the secret.
"Bell-kun, don't blindly trust the Guild. There are many leaks. The receptionists sell privileged information - it's one reason Ouranos forbade them from getting too close to adventurers."
It turned out there had been past issues from close relationships between receptionists and adventurers. Hestia recalled Hephaestus telling her how the Guild had purged several receptionists over this.
Though they later established strict rules... rules are dead, people are alive.
Even if a receptionist can't get close to an adventurer, nothing stops her from befriending a god. Thus, many end up "casually mentioning" secrets they should keep. Not direct leaks, just innocent chatter... that gods then exploit.
Since it's a legal gray area, receptionists face no punishment. After the first incident, cases multiplied. Now when gods want information, they simply extract it during casual conversations with receptionists.
And in return, they give "tips for good service," not bribes.
Knowing this from Hephaestus, Hestia saw the Guild as a giant sieve. If a secret reached there, assume it would leak.
Though still worried, Bell trusted Eina.
"Lady Hestia, Eina-san will help keep it hidden. She already warned me at the Guild that selling the daggers would reveal my identity. She promised to keep the secret."
"This time it shouldn't be a problem... but in the future I'll need your help with such matters."
Hestia remained wary of Eina. She trusted Bell, but not a Guild receptionist. After all, how could someone from that organization keep a secret?
Still, she suppressed her unease. She didn't want to worry Bell further. Later she'd have to speak with Eina personally... or at least verify she'd handled things properly.