Chapter 120: Roland's Favor

Hestia stared at Roland in a daze, her expression one of utter disbelief, yet she could find no trace of falsehood in his sincere words. Although her body was already nodding in honest agreement, her reason still held her back.

"But my Familia only has one person; I can't offer you any help..." Hestia said, her gaze dropping nervously, her voice filled with unease. In her past attempts to find members for her Familia, she had failed every time this step was reached, and so she looked into Roland’s eyes with profound anxiety.

"As a starting point for a hero, it couldn't be more fitting. A lone hero and a god with nothing to her name—I believe this will surely become a magnificent legend." Looking at the dazed Hestia, Roland smiled helplessly. "So, what is your answer?"

"I... I... I of course agree! Or rather, please, let me become your family!" Hestia, her face flushed red, nodded like a bobblehead, her twin tails swaying to and fro. Because she was so excited, she had let her true feelings slip out. *It’s over,* she thought. *This is our first meeting, yet I’ve said something that sounds like a confession of love. Isn't this just like those philandering gods? I am a goddess of chastity known throughout the heavens; how can I fall in love with my own Familia member... wait, that actually seems quite common in the Lower World.*

"Then, the contract is hereby established. From this moment on, the Hestia Familia shall lead all of Orario!" Under the witness of the gods, the Hestia Familia and the legendary hero took their first step together.

***

A short while later, guided by Hestia, Roland arrived in front of a dilapidated bookstore. According to her, she had decided long ago that when she first bestowed a Falna, it would be in this place. She felt that for someone like her who loved books, there was no more suitable place to welcome a new beginning. The start of a legend should be chosen in a place surrounded by many books.

After exchanging brief greetings with the white-haired old man on the ground floor, Roland and Est entered a room fragrant with the scent of aged wood. Bookshelves packed to the brim occupied all four walls of the room, and piles of books were stacked in front of them as well. Hestia, who lacked even the money to buy books, often spent her time in this archive thanks to the shopkeeper's kindness.

"Now, it’s not too late to change your mind. Once you possess a Falna, it isn't easy to leave, even if you want to convert to another Familia," Hestia said earnestly. "If you wish to refuse, I won't blame you."

After leading Est to a chair nearby, Roland turned his attention to Hestia. "Think nothing of it. Bestow the Falna upon me, Hestia."

Having established the contractual relationship, Roland changed how he addressed Hestia. She didn't even notice this act, which would have been enough to make other patron deities frown. She simply tapped the chair beside her in excitement.

"Then let us begin, Roland. Take off your upper garments. I will use my divine blood as a medium to engrave the holy letters onto your back. Afterward, that will be your Falna."

Roland skillfully removed his shirt and sat on the chair. Hestia produced a box from somewhere, took out a needle, and pricked her fingertip. Crimson blood dripped gently onto Roland’s back, allowing this power unique to the gods to manifest.

Although it looked similar to the leveling and attribute systems common in online games, the Falna was fundamentally different. The Falna acted more as a catalyst, drawing out the history and potential of the holder and turning it into a catalyst for experience points to accelerate the pace of growth. Possessing a Falna did not guarantee one would become strong; rather, it shortened the process for those who were destined to be strong.

As Hestia’s divine blood dripped onto Roland’s back, pale blue light rippled like water in the air. Obscure and mysterious characters slowly emerged from the light, constantly arranging themselves.

"Done. Now, once the holy letters manifest, your attributes and potential will appear upon them."

The holy letters would draw out all the possibilities of the holder's body. Like a blank book, the paths Roland walked and the experience and possibilities he accumulated over time would be recorded there. Seeing this, Hestia nodded in satisfaction and looked expectantly at the characters on Roland’s back. After all, he was that rumored Hero of the Sword; what kind of potential would he possess?

Yet, precisely because of this, Hestia failed to notice the strange expression on Roland’s face. In Roland’s mind, a blank panel had flashed before the holy letters appeared. Aside from the most basic attributes, there was nothing else, and every time his consciousness touched those blank spaces, it could easily leave a mark. *Is the original Falna panel meant to be filled by oneself?*

Although the moment Hestia's divine blood entered his body, the "Thousand Wisdoms" of the Holy Master began to analyze this unknown power and adapt it for his own use, the final result still exceeded Roland’s expectations. And because he had yet to make a decision, Hestia, who was bestowing a Falna for the first time, felt somewhat puzzled.

"Eh? Why hasn't it finished manifesting... Did I do something wrong?"

*Just fill it in randomly; the panel is just paper anyway.*

Roland did not hesitate further and casually selected a few of the most common abilities from the blank options. With his thoughts, those mysterious holy letters finally formed rows of template-like sequences, presenting themselves before Hestia’s eyes. When she saw the attributes manifesting on Roland’s back, Hestia blinked, her expression turning very subtle.

Roland
Lv. 1
Strength: I (0)
Endurance: I (0)
Dexterity: I (0)
Agility: I (0)
Magic: I (0)
Magic—
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
Skills—
Thousand Wisdom - Any magic below the level of this wisdom can be learned, regardless of any prerequisites.
Incarnation of Possibility - Super-speed growth; every time an ability reaches its limit, a greater breakthrough will be gained.
Favored One - All options related to luck will always be guided toward the most desired result.

Hestia scanned the characters on Roland’s back earnestly. The basic abilities and level went without saying, as did the magic slots. In this world, this ability was originally a privilege exclusive to elves and faeries; other races had to rely on a Falna to unlock this potential. The maximum number of magic spells a Falna could uncover was three, and most people only possessed the potential for one. This number was quite fitting for Roland’s reputation as a hero. With such generous magic slots, even if he hadn't obtained any spells, other Familias would still be fighting to recruit such a promising talent.

However, the text described in the three skill slots left Hestia completely stunned. Skills reflected a person’s essence and desires, and were the easiest things to be guided and changed. Hestia had expected Roland to have more than one skill, but what these skills represented made it impossible for her to remain calm. She quickly grabbed the parchment she had prepared, copying the characters down while recalling what the holy letters had described.

"Thousand Wisdom," which directly ignored the essence of the magic slot; "Incarnation of Possibility," which ignored the growth speed and limits that were the greatest restrictions of a Falna; and "Favored One," which seemed destined to initiate a great feat and be embraced by luck. Compared to other denizens of the Lower World, this was too much like cheating—cheating to the point that if this news got out, there would likely be people so desperate they would commit suicide rather than just feel jealous or resentful. These skills, describing his very essence, were as if to say that Roland was not human, but a god.

Putting his clothes back on casually, Roland, who had already known the result, simply took the parchment and glanced at it. "Not bad." He gave a rather bland evaluation.

"This degree of power... you can't just describe it as 'not bad'... I have lived for so long and have never heard of such rare skills." Hestia sighed with emotion, but then she became serious. "Do you want me to lock your attributes? To prevent them from being exposed and causing a stir. Even for a hero like you, possessing these skills will make you a target for many unnecessary people."

"No need. The person who could see these holy letters against my will likely does not exist in this world," Roland said, stretching his body without a care. "Besides, it doesn't matter if it’s exposed."

*If it’s not closed, is it open?* Regardless of whether Roland exposed his abilities, having defeated Ais before receiving a Falna, he was destined to attract a great deal of scrutiny with every move he made. Conspirators and ambitious men—as long as he remained active in Orario and sought to lead an era belonging to heroes, this city of mixed company would never stop testing him.

"Still, are the basic attributes all zero?" Roland stared at the conspicuous numbers on the parchment and fell into silence.

"That’s quite normal. The Falna is only a catalyst, not some miraculous elixir." As if worried that Roland might be dissatisfied, Hestia hurriedly explained. "It takes your current strength as the foundation for your basic abilities. Those numbers represent your proficiency. It’s like how you’ve just received the Falna, yet you don't feel a sudden surge of strength, right?"

Hestia leaned close to Roland, her finger tracing the numbers on the parchment. "In fact, the idea that you become stronger just by leveling up is just the imagination of children who haven't received a Falna. The causal relationship is the opposite: you only level up after you have become stronger. In the future, you won't have the feeling of 'leveling up' as a shortcut to power, because as you train, those accumulations and abilities will have invisibly integrated into your instincts, becoming power you can wield as easily as your own arms."

"Because your innate limit is higher than other adventurers, even if your proficiency only increases by a little, you will feel a huge difference from your former self. That is because the power within you that was not yet fully yours is being mastered." Mentioning this, Hestia looked quite proud. "And our role as gods is to help you see where your talents lie and to guide you in filling your gaps."

To improve a certain attribute, one must perform related training: attacking, using magic, running—these experiences will be multiplied and fed back to the holder through the promotion of the Falna. The maximum value for each stage is 99, ranging from I to S, totaling ten stages. The closer one gets to the limit, the slower the growth, but for most people, reaching D basically means their potential has reached its limit; the rest of the growth is a gamble on their talent in that area. Once all attributes reach D, the basic requirements for leveling up are met.

"How about it, Roland-kun? Are you disappointed with the Falna?" Hestia subconsciously leaned in, burying Roland’s arm in a soft embrace.

"No, on the contrary, I think the Falna is a wonderful thing." For the current Roland, the Falna could not be more suitable. He could already feel the power within his body shifting, beginning to trend toward a better balance.

Because he was being held by Hestia, Roland could not move his limbs much, but he stood up as best he could, offering his other arm to Est, who had also stood up and silently cuddled against him.

"Ugh..." Seeing Est pressed against Roland, Hestia immediately puffed up her cheeks. On one hand, it was because Est had established a contract even earlier than she had, and on the other, as a goddess very sensitive to emotions, she could feel that Est held deep feelings for Roland. This was no longer the ordinary attachment of a spirit to its master; it was something far more alarming. *This is deviant! How can a spirit fall in love with a human? They can't even have children! Wait, gods also seem to...*

Just as Hestia was lost in thought, Roland suddenly raised his head. "Come to think of it, the Falna is essentially a type of divine art, isn't it?"

"Eh? Yes..." Hestia said, somewhat puzzled. "Although it is essentially a gift bestowed upon the children of the Lower World, it is actually a divine ritual, which is why they are all identical. After converting, the divine blood of other gods can also be used to update one's abilities."

"I see. The key to the Falna lies not in the user, but in the essence of the ritual and the power itself?" Roland nodded in realization. A thought crossed his mind, and the power belonging to his essence flickered behind him.

The next moment, a new information panel appeared before his eyes.

Magic: I (6)

*As expected, the Falna is essentially just a ritual. To humans, it is almost incomprehensible, but it is still far from the limit of the Holy Master’s wisdom. Although a lot of the ritual knowledge has been forgotten, the fact that I am a Demon Sorcerer representing the pinnacle of this world is an indisputable truth.*

This ritual had already integrated into his flesh. Even the panel and self-updating did not need to rely on Hestia; Roland could complete it by his own power, and this was the best proof.

*Then, if I were to be a bit bolder, is the option of bestowing my own Falna upon others possible?*

Although Roland did not have divine blood, he had substitutes that were by no means inferior to it. The desires of human evil and the demonic energy of fire all possessed similar properties, or were even superior powers. Even a noble Heroic Spirit would be twisted and reversed by this power, so those adventurers would surely be unable to resist this malice.

The corners of Roland’s mouth gradually curled up, revealing a joyful smile. If that were the case, the prototype of a new Familia was already within reach.

A Familia belonging to [The Holy Master].