Chapter 134: Roland's Title

Eina was nervously processing the paperwork on her desk, trying to speed up her work as much as possible.

Since early this morning, there had been more adventurers about than usual. Even though most were not there for consultations—merely checking the bulletin board for information or exchanging rumors—even a small fraction of them was enough to leave the receptionists overwhelmed.

"So busy, so busy!"

Stimulated by the teeming crowd in the lobby, even her close friend Miach, who usually dragged her off to slacken, couldn't find a spare moment to chatter.

"It can't be helped, can it? Not after what happened."

Once her workload eased slightly, Eina began to comfort Miach.

Over the past few days, a piece of news that made the adventurers' faces pale had been circulating. Monsters appeared to be migrating upward from the deeper levels. Many high-level adventurers in the lower floors had encountered deep-level monsters. Because these adventurers belonged to different Familias, the possibility of collusion was minimal, which undoubtedly added weight to the credibility of the reports.

Monsters moving between floors was not unheard of, but an entire floor shifting was a catastrophe. One mistake, and the main force of a Familia could be wiped out. For the gods, who viewed the Lower World as a game, this was like having a character they had painstakingly raised destroyed by a bug—it was completely unacceptable. Many gods had already gone to the Guild to pressure them for detailed information.

Finally, under pressure from various sides, the Guild had to step forward to provide accurate news. They confirmed the reality of the monster migration, but clarified that it was not affecting the entire Dungeon; it had started from a certain deep level and was gradually spreading upward. They had yet to confirm what kind of anomaly had occurred on that level.

However, the Guild did not forget to reassure the adventurers. The migration was happening floor by floor, and so far, it had only just reached the lower levels; it would take time for it to spread to the middle and upper levels. Furthermore, they announced that they had hired the Loki Familia to investigate the situation, promising that if there were any abnormalities upon their return, they would mobilize all of Orario's Familias for a Great Expedition.

This barely managed to quell the adventurers' anxiety, though the number of people heading deep into the Dungeon had still decreased significantly over the last two days.

Everyone was waiting for news from the Loki Familia.

*I hope Lady Riveria returns safely,* Eina thought. Despite knowing how strong Riveria was—who was both her superior and a close personal friend—Eina could not stop her worry.

*Come to think of it, I haven't seen Roland in the past few days either...*

"Yo, Eina-san, long time no see."

Just as Eina was lost in her thoughts, that clear, refreshing voice sounded right beside her ear.

"Long time no see, Roland."

When Eina looked up, a smile of relief unconsciously overflowed across her face; no matter how she tried to control it, she couldn't hold it back.

"Are you having doubts about the Dungeon? I’m surprised you’d come to the Guild..."

"I couldn't help it. I leveled up, so I had to come and report it."

"That’s amazing. It’s only been six days since you arrived in Orario, right?"

The two chatted casually like friends, and then, Eina froze in place, as if she had been stared at by a Petrification Eye.

"Eina-san?"

Roland tilted his head, wearing a subtle smile, and waved a hand in front of her.

"Six days?"

Eina’s smile began to tremble. She looked at Roland, who still maintained his fresh, composed smile, and stood up in a moment of agitation. She didn't know what to say, and just as she opened her mouth, she abruptly covered it with her hand.

Once she had calmed down, she beckoned Roland closer, leaned in, and whispered in a hushed, intimate tone.

"Roland-kun, do you realize what this means? This is a complete anomaly. You really should go back and consult with your patron deity before making any decisions."

"Hestia has already agreed. I need to boost my reputation, and the Guild won’t raise questions about such an insignificant anomaly, will they?"

Roland smiled mysteriously. "In an Orario filled with panic, nothing can soothe the public heart better than the introduction of a hero."

Eina was taken aback. She hadn't considered that. Indeed, the Guild wouldn't just be indifferent to Roland's abnormal growth speed; they would likely praise it and push it forward. He had arrived at the perfect time—just as the omens of disaster appeared in Orario, Roland had delivered himself to their doorstep. Based on her understanding of the Guild, they wouldn't do anything other than take advantage of the momentum.

"So, Eina-san, you don't need to worry. You only need to offer thunderous applause for the birth of a hero," Roland said confidently, his eyes glinting. "Besides, isn't the next Divine Banquet coming up soon? If I miss that, it will be too late by the time I earn my next alias."

—

Hestia had come to the Divine Banquet for the first time in a long while.

Because she hadn't attended in so long, she felt a bit nervous, even though the banquet wasn't a particularly serious occasion. After all, the original purpose of this party was just for a group of gods to gather, relieve their boredom, and eat and drink together.

The Divine Banquet could only be called a large gathering; private, smaller parties were countless. It was thanks to the intervention of the Guild and the "game" of Familia development that the banquet had become a more formal occasion with an established schedule.

Every three months, the gods would gather not only to chat, but to exchange information and discuss problems between their Familias.

Whether one had a Familia or not did not affect Hestia’s eligibility to attend, but showing off the children of the Lower World had become a mandatory subject. Having nothing to show, she could never blend into those conversations.

But now, the time had finally come for her to hold her head high!

Though the gods hadn't actually ostracized her—after all, there was little distinction of status among deities—most were currently chatting about recent topics.

"Tell me, is this really wine brewed by Soma? It’s so weak, completely different from what I’ve had before."

"I heard it was made by the children in his Familia. He’s probably diluting the original divine wine to win by volume and make money."

"He should keep an eye on them. It tastes fine, but it’s too watered down."

"Soma has been cooped up in his Familia for a long time, hasn't he? How long has it been since we saw him out? I guess he’s completely abdicated control due to bad luck at home. Still, even if it looks like a mess, his influence is much greater than before. I heard this divine wine is mainly sold outside of Orario. It’s in such high demand—this is world-class influence."

"That guy got lucky through misfortune."

As the gods' topics drifted further and further, Loki, the host of the banquet, stood up. She placed one foot on the table and revealed a ferocious grin.

"Now—let the bestowing of titles begin."

In the hall of the temple on the 30th floor of Babel, the gods sitting around a circular table at regular intervals cheered at the declaration.

Bestowing titles upon adventurers who had reached Level 2 was arguably the most interesting part of the banquet. The size of the gods' influence, their twisted tastes, and the number of their allies would be directly exposed.

If any aspect went wrong, the children who had just achieved a great feat and were full of pride would encounter their first setback in life.

After all, even though the gods from the Heavenly Realm had lived in the Lower World for thousands of years, their avant-garde values and differences in taste were still as glaring as mud spots on a white shirt.

Although the gods vehemently denied that those bizarre titles were the product of their twisted senses of humor, insisting it was merely a difference in taste, the truth of that claim was highly suspect, given the wails emitted by the patron gods of the children who had received shameful titles.

Hestia prayed silently in her heart, worried about what kind of title Roland would be given. She was trying to find her own advantages.

In terms of power, her Familia only had Roland. In terms of influence, she had no specialty that was useful in the Lower World. As for allies... well, she actually did have some, like Hephaestus... and also Hephaestus.

Thinking of this, Hestia suddenly looked up at Hephaestus, who was sitting next to her, but the latter only gave a wry smile and rolled her eyes at her.

"Isn't it a bit too late to start praying now? Let’s be clear, I will vote for you, but my influence isn't heavy enough to change the final result."

Hestia nodded heavily, looking at the eerie atmosphere at the table.

Except for a few gods who looked as nervous as she was, most of them wore the malicious smiles of people watching a good show. By this time, the first victim had already appeared.

"So it is decided, this child's official title shall be 'Black Wing'!"

"No—!"

Following the birth of this title, which was full of "chuunibyou" energy, most of the gods ignored the wails of the unlucky patron god rolling on the table and continued to chatter and laugh.

"Feels like it’s in the same series as that 'Black Flame Master' from last time."

"Well, the characteristics aren't distinct enough. I still prefer the child with the different-colored eyes—'Evil Eye of the King,' I still laugh until I cry whenever I think of it."

"It’s still a notch below 'Dawn Saint Dragon Knight,' in my opinion. That remains my all-time favorite."

After one painful title after another was unveiled, Loki looked at the next document and revealed a proud, delighted smile.

"Next is our Ais."

"She leveled up again so quickly?"

"Didn't the Loki Familia just return yesterday? I heard she soloed the Floor Boss of the 36th floor?"

"As expected of the Sword Princess. She’s already Level 6, right?"

"So, what kind of title should we give her?"

Hearing the gods' discussion, Loki wore a kind smile, but her always-squinted eyes opened, revealing a fierce glint.

"There’s no need to change our Ais's title."

"As you wish!"

Scanned by Loki's threatening gaze, the gods remembered that she was once known as a wicked god and quickly abandoned their principles to concede.

Expanding one's Familia influence was the royal road to avoiding shameful titles. After all, no one wanted to court disaster by being pressured by a powerful Familia and driven out of the paradise that was Orario.

"Then, next is... the Hestia Familia."

Seeing the quiet gods, Loki had just nodded in satisfaction when her eyes narrowed at the next document.

"Soloed the Floor Boss of the 17th floor, filled her experience in just six days, and leveled up to Level 2. Little shrimp, what is going on with your child?"

Although Loki didn't say his name, the gods present knew exactly who she was referring to. Roland's name might not be known to everyone, but it was certainly famous enough throughout Orario—especially with the arrogance of him choosing Hestia over many other gods and demanding that the relationship between patron and Familia be reversed.

"He’s many times faster than our Ais. Even for a hero, this speed is excessive, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Does that child have some special method?"

As if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time, the gods turned their gazes toward the nervous Hestia, their faces filled with intense excitement.

*The worst-case scenario.*

Hestia bit her lip, trying to maintain a cold expression. For gods who hungered for the unknown, piquing their interest was the worst-case scenario. One mistake, even if it was just a whim, could turn that child's future upside down.

Consequently, obvious panic flashed across Hestia's face.

"Little shrimp, aren't you going to say something?"

Loki frowned. Yesterday, her beloved Ais had suddenly gained a strange skill. When she heard from Finn and the others that Ais had only been alone with Roland, she had been so angry she almost ground her teeth to dust. Now, she wanted to vent her frustrations on Hestia.

Just as she was about to say more, she was interrupted by a beautiful voice.

"Does it really matter?"

Sitting in the chair opposite Loki, with her fingers elegantly interlaced, the beautiful goddess Freya said with a gentle smile.

"Isn't it because of this unknown that we all came to the Lower World? Since he has achieved such a feat just after arriving in Orario, rather than pressuring him now, shouldn't we look forward to his future?"

Freya gently tucked her hair behind her ear, and with that simple gesture, she shifted the attention of the entire room.

Loki looked at her with pure displeasure, but Freya, as if she didn't see the disgusted gaze, smiled and said:

"Besides, the Guild also hopes to have such a child to serve as Orario's hope and alleviate the current situation."

"That guy Ouranos... tch."

Loki clicked her tongue, but she didn't pursue it further. With the greatest pressure having conceded, the other male gods, who were completely infatuated with Freya, wouldn't react. And while the goddesses gave these guys looks of pure contempt, they wouldn't dare provoke Freya either. Even setting aside that charm, the Freya Familia was just as strong as the Loki Familia.

Moreover, the goddesses themselves had a good impression of Roland.

"So, what kind of title should we give him?"

Finally, a more laid-back god returned to the topic and raised the question.

"Does his title really need us to go to the trouble of choosing it?"

Freya sat down slowly, resting her hand on her abdomen. Recalling Roland's face, a hint of heat and intoxication flickered in her eyes, but she realized the occasion and quickly suppressed it.

"Even if we gave him some shameful title, Orario would still call him by that name anyway."

And so, Roland's title was decided.

—Sword Hero.