Chapter 10. Time to Get New Equipment! But Where's the Money?
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"That must be divine power! There's no other explanation!"
Loki slapped the table in disbelief.
"This is cheating! While everyone else bestows their Blessings, that guy Apollo grants something far more potent—and it's such a powerful blessing too!"
"Calm down. It's just a wolf he killed," Freya replied elegantly, sipping her coffee, though her legs hadn't stopped fidgeting the entire time.
"Calm down? Are you kidding me? Apollo's divine power is practically spilling over!" Loki ranted, pulling at her hair in frustration. "I can't take it; I'm going to confront him!"
"It's pointless. He carries the power of more than just Apollo," Freya chuckled softly. "If I'm correct, he bears the strength of thirteen gods. Are you planning to track down every one of them?"
Loki's face turned red with frustration. Not even her Familia could stir up trouble with thirteen different Familias at once.
"So, are we just going to let this monster roam free?" Loki sighed in resignation as she slumped back into her chair. "With our powers sealed, no one can possibly stand against him."
"Who knows~"
"Tch, I almost forgot you've got your own little monster," Loki muttered bitterly.
"That child... he's grown stronger," Ais remarked, a thoughtful expression in her clear eyes.
…
"Why am I back to being an apprentice again?!"
Hestia furiously rubbed Bell's back, trying to erase the word "Apprentice" from his special skill – Hero's Apprentice.
"It hurts, Goddess! It hurts! You're going to rub my skin off!" Bell winced, unable to roll away because Hestia was straddling him. All he could do was kick his legs in pain.
"I told you, Bell's still not fully developed," Cyd's voice was calm as he studied the small round shield in his hand. "This is almost at its limit."
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I'm still not mature enough," Bell lowered his head in disappointment.
"No, I'm quite satisfied. I only had you kill goblins to safely train your stats, but you've exceeded my expectations. So..." Cyd smiled, tossing the shield aside. "Congratulations, you've passed the trial."
"Really?!" Bell's eyes lit up. "I've become..."
"So, we move on to the second phase," Cyd grinned wickedly. "You'll need to kill ten thousand Minotaurs."
"Thud—"
Bell's head slammed into the couch.
"No way! It's one thing to fight goblins, but how could you send Bell to face Minotaurs? And ten thousand of them?!" Hestia protested, pounding on Bell's back.
It was as absurd as sending a beginner adventurer straight to fight the Demon King's generals!
"Of course, I won't let Bell challenge Minotaurs with such poor equipment," Cyd remarked, adjusting Bell's broken short sword. "It's about time."
"Could it be!" Bell looked up, his red eyes sparkling.
"It's time to get you some equipment befitting a hero," Cyd's fingers gently snapped the short sword in two.
"That's great!" Bell exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
No man could resist the allure of new equipment, especially a rookie adventurer.
"Thud—"
Hestia, who had been sitting on Bell's back, tumbled down and faceplanted on the floor.
Cyd: (?皿?)
Bell: Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Hestia: (?д?;)
Ryuu, who was quietly eating bread nearby, watched the scene unfold with a detached expression.
I really want to cry, I really want to take this opportunity to throw myself into Bell's arms and act like a spoiled child, but I can't, there are outsiders here! No! I must show the majesty of God!
Holding her reddened nose, Hestia sat up. "But Bell, you mustn't forget one crucial detail—we… have no money!"
Bell, frozen mid-cheer, turned to stone.
Cyd awkwardly shoved the corpse of his empty wallet into his inner pocket.
The culprit, Ryuu, wiped the crumbs off her fingers.
"Cool... cool weapons..." Bell looked up at Cyd with pleading eyes. "Teacher..."
"Uh..." Cyd awkwardly averted his gaze, unable to meet Bell's desperate eyes. "Bell, why don't you take a break for now? I'll handle the weapons."
"But I can't let you... It's not like I really need..." Bell's voice trailed off as he stared at the broken short sword. "New weapons."
"Well, as your teacher, I should give you a little reward. Just be patient!" Cyd coughed, trying to sound confident as he hid the broken sword behind his back.
Despite saying that...
Sitting at the Hostess of Fertility, Cyd crossed his fingers and stared at the menu in silence.
He had no idea what to do.
"Hey there, kid," the bar owner Mia casually placed a drink in front of Cyd.
"Please pay up," Ryuu appeared behind Cyd, as if by coincidence.
"No... I can't," Cyd collapsed onto the table.
"Oh? So, you've got some willpower this time? You used to empty your wallet without a second thought," Mia remarked with some regret as she pushed the drink forward. "This one's on the house."
"Because I'm out of money," Cyd tapped his flat wallet on the bar.
"Alright, what can I do to help, since you're such an entertaining bunch?" Mia shrugged.
"I need to get my student some new equipment," Cyd scratched his head, "but I'm completely out of ideas."
"Emmm..." Mia pondered for a moment before looking at Ryuu. "How about you help him out, Ryuu?"
"Is it for Mr. Bell?" Syr jumped in, balancing a tray. "I want to help too!"
"No, Syr, you've got work to finish," Mia knocked on Syr's head.
"Ugh..."
Syr retreated in defeat.
"What about my own work?" Ryuu frowned.
"Don't worry, Syr can cover for you," Mia gave her a thumbs up.
"Alright," Ryuu wiped her hands clean. "But you'll have to cover the cost yourself. I can only offer advice."
"Money, huh..." Cyd rubbed his chin. "Looks like I'll have to clear out the dungeon. By the way, Ryuu, which store do you recommend for equipment?"
"The Hephaestus Familia crafts the most reliable equipment, but it's also the most expensive," Ryuu replied, glancing at Cyd's lifeless wallet. "You might want to think about it."
"Hephaestus...?" Cyd's eyes narrowed. "Is it her?"
Was it the girl who, despite losing her hands, insisted on bringing hope? Or was it someone else, like Hestia? It was time to find out!
"Ryuu, how much would a full set of equipment cost?" Cyd asked with a slow grin.
"Hephaestus Familia's equipment, even for beginners, is not cheap," Ryuu replied seriously.
"Then I guess I'll..." Cyd cracked his knuckles, "head into the dungeon for a little sweep."
The monsters in the dungeon had one more day before the Pure White Hero arrived.