Danmachi : The Strongest Adventurer

Rein walked leisurely toward the church where he and Hestia lived.

The afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade, casting a golden glow over the streets of Orario. The air was warm, and the distant sounds of the bustling city still filled the surroundings.

As he walked, Rein occasionally glanced around. He was still in awe of the fact that he was truly in this world. Everything he had only seen in anime before was now right in front of him, real and tangible.

"Orario… it's much more alive than I imagined," he murmured with a small smile.

People bustled about, merchants shouted to advertise their goods, and several adventurers chatted while carrying the spoils of their hunts from the Dungeon. Seeing all this, Rein felt even more excited to start his adventure tomorrow.

When he finally arrived at the old church that served as his and Hestia's home, Rein paused for a moment in front of the door. He took a deep breath, then slowly pushed it open.

"I'm home." His voice was casual.

Inside, Hestia, who was sitting on the floor surrounded by books, immediately looked up. Her eyes lit up when she saw Rein return, but she quickly tried to act nonchalant.

"Welcome back, Rein! How was the Guild? Did everything go smoothly?"

Rein closed the door and walked over, placing his spear against the wall before sitting down on the floor.

"Yeah, I got my adventurer's license and some starter equipment. Tomorrow, I can finally enter the Dungeon."

Hestia's eyes widened slightly at his words. As she had expected, Rein wasn't the type to waste time.

"Tomorrow? Are you sure you don't want to rest first?"

"I'm fine. Besides, I need to start as soon as possible if I want our Familia to grow." Rein smiled casually.

Hestia gazed at him with a hint of concern, but she was also happy to see his determination. She clasped her hands tightly on her lap, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Then… alright. But promise me, don't be reckless, okay?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want to leave Hestia all alone." He smirked playfully.

Hestia blinked before letting out a small laugh. Seeing Rein still able to joke despite entering the Dungeon for the first time made her feel a bit more at ease. Still, deep down, a lingering worry remained.

The sky over Orario gradually shifted from orange and purple to a deep blue. Night was approaching, but for Rein, there was still time to train.

After chatting briefly with Hestia, he picked up his spear and walked to the empty courtyard of the church.

Gripping the wooden spear firmly, he felt its familiar weight in his hands. Though it was just a beginner's weapon, to him, it was an extension of his body. A piece of his home.

Yes, the spear he was training with now was the one he had brought from his village.

Rein stood tall, his left foot slightly forward while his right hand gripped the spear tightly.

The cold night air brushed against his skin, but his body was already warming up.

He took a deep breath—the fresh air filling his lungs—then exhaled slowly.

His eyes focused ahead, imagining an invisible enemy before him. With a swift motion, he thrust his spear forward. The air whistled as the spear's tip cut through, creating a faint sound that could only be heard in the stillness of the night.

Each thrust tensed the muscles in his arms, a dull ache creeping from his shoulders, but he ignored it. Sweat trickled down his temple, dripping onto the dusty ground. Yet, he kept going. One, two, three thrusts… until his movements became automatic, as if his body acted on instinct alone.

Near the church's entrance, Hestia sat cross-legged on the floor, watching Rein with wide eyes. She rested her chin on her hands, and her twin ponytails swayed slightly as she observed him intently.

"Hoooh~ He looks so serious~" she murmured teasingly, but her gaze never left him.

Seeing someone train firsthand was entirely different from merely hearing them talk about their determination and dreams.

Rein's movements were sharp, his eyes filled with unwavering focus. Every time he swung his spear, his muscles moved in perfect rhythm. There was a certain charm in his dedication.

Hestia tilted her head slightly, watching even more closely—then BLAM!—her face instantly turned red.

"W-why does he look so much cooler than usual!?" she screamed internally, squirming slightly.

She quickly covered her cheeks with both hands, feeling unbearably hot. Her eyes darted left and right, as if afraid someone might notice her embarrassing expression.

"B-but wait, I'm a goddess! A deity shouldn't feel this way about a human! No, no, no, impossible! Completely impossible!"

Yet, no matter how much she denied it, reality wouldn't change. Every time she looked at Rein, that strange fluttering feeling returned. She bit her lip, swinging her legs in the air anxiously before finally rolling on the floor in frustration.

"Aaaaaahh! What is happening to me!?"

She stopped rolling and buried her face into a pillow—where did that even come from? Her twin ponytails wiggled as she mumbled something almost inaudible.

"This is all Rein's fault! Why does he have to look so cool while training!?"

Rein continued honing his technique, completely unaware that his goddess was acting strangely nearby.

Minutes passed.

He finally stopped swinging his spear and let out a long sigh, feeling slightly frustrated. Despite training relentlessly, he sensed no real progress. It was as if an invisible wall was blocking his growth.

"Tsk… I'm stuck," he muttered, staring at the spear in his hands.

He knew well that in martial arts, there were times when progress stalled. No matter how hard one trained, without new insights or experiences, improvement was difficult. Yet, he also knew that breakthroughs could happen at any moment—whether in battle or a sudden moment of clarity.

"Well… there's no point in forcing it now." He leaned his spear against the wall.

Rolling up his sleeves, he felt the stickiness of sweat on his skin. He grimaced slightly and pursed his lips.

"Haaah… I need a bath."

With that decision, he turned to head inside the church—when he saw something bizarre.

Not far from the entrance, Hestia was rolling around on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. Her twin ponytails bounced with her movements, and her face was completely flushed.

…

Rein stood in silence for a few seconds, trying to process what he was witnessing.

"Hestia… what are you doing?" he asked, his expression blank with confusion.

As if struck by a time-freezing spell, Hestia immediately went rigid. Her body, which had been moving wildly, froze completely. Only her head slowly turned toward Rein in an almost mechanical manner.

"U-Uh… I-I was just… um… ahahaha~!" She tried to laugh it off awkwardly, but the panic was evident in her voice.

Seeing Rein's utterly confused expression, Hestia's embarrassment hit its peak.

Without thinking, she suddenly jumped to her feet and pointed at him with an accusatory glare—though it was more out of flustered frustration than actual anger.

"T-this is all your fault, Rein!!" she yelled, her cheeks still burning.

"Hah? My fault? What did I do?" Rein looked even more bewildered.

"It's just your fault! Don't ask why!" Hestia shouted in a panic before bolting inside, leaving Rein standing there, completely lost.

He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the situation. But the more he thought about it, the less it made sense.

"Did I miss something?" he asked himself.

"Did I do something?"

"Am I in the wrong dimension?"

"What just happened…?"

In the end, he could only scratch his head in resignation.

Sometimes, understanding a goddess was harder than facing monsters in the Dungeon.