"You've grown up, Akihiro-kun! Now you're even considering your goddess!"
"..."
The petite Hestia wrapped her arms around his neck, her light blue eyes shining with genuine joy.
Though for Akihiro—whose mind housed an adult's soul—the praise felt somewhat peculiar.
Well.
Setting aside her youthful appearance, from the perspective of her actual age, Hestia's words were perfectly valid.
There was no argument about his decision to explore the Dungeon. She agreed surprisingly quickly.
"I'll allow Akihiro-kun to venture into the Dungeon."
"But only if you get a doctor's approval. We need to confirm that your arm condition won't affect your combat safety."
Since Akihiro had made his decision, as a goddess, she shouldn't interfere. Only respect his choice.
And Hestia did just that.
She didn't know the pain this "plague" caused Akihiro. Even with their fledgling Familia, consisting of just her and her sole follower...
Living in an abandoned church, eating leftover stall food... yet he trained relentlessly every day.
His motivation for entering the Dungeon was simple:
«Gain real strength. Don't be a burden to my goddess.»
Looking at the manacles restraining the corruption on his arm, Hestia felt a mix of emotions—but mostly familial concern.
*If only I had Hephaestus' resources... would his situation be better?*
Leaving the leftover lunch behind, she retrieved a grayish-brown cloak from the church basement—enough to conceal Akihiro's abnormal arm.
"Let's go."
"To the doctor first."
Seeing the frail-looking yet composed young man, Hestia nodded in satisfaction and took the lead.
Without turning back, her voice warmed:
"And one more thing... I've never thought of Akihiro-kun as a burden. To me, you're family."
---
Following Hestia, Akihiro understood their destination: Orario's prosperous northern district, home to the great Dian Cecht Familia.
There, they'd meet **Amid Teasanare**, the guild captain—a living legend who single-handedly upheld her Familia's prosperity.
Possessing high-tier healing magic:
- Wound healing
- Stamina restoration
- Poison neutralization
- Curse breaking
- Even area-of-effect healing
Versatile magic: she could apply effects separately or combined.
Dubbed "Battlefield Saint", her team achieved zero casualties even against enhanced monsters or floor bosses.
Though only Level 2, every expedition in Orario coveted her participation.
And she'd be his physician today.
With such credentials, the consultation would be costly. Akihiro knew his Kazan Syndrome (the demonic arm transformation) was incurable.
But for Dungeon access, this step was necessary.
The imposing white building, bearing Dian Cecht's emblem (a luminous orb surrounded by herbs), housed few patients at noon.
In the waiting room, Hestia encouraged:
"Amid-kun is Orario's finest healer."
"She'll solve your problem!"
"I hope so."
Akihiro memorized the location. Injuries would be inevitable in the Dungeon, and this place would be crucial.
The wait was brief.
A figure entered the room: a young woman with a finely sculpted doll-like face.
Her white uniform with pink accents betrayed her role.
Silver hair cascaded softly as she bowed, and her purple eyelashes lifted upon recognizing Hestia (famous for her fried potato stall in North Main Street).
But her real interest was the youth beside her:
- Far Eastern features.
- Anomalous crimson eyes.
Sitting across from them, her voice was calm:
"Lady Hestia."
"How may I assist you?"
"It's Akihiro-kun."
Hestia gestured to the concealed arm.
"He contracted a plague. He insists on Dungeon diving, so we need to know if it's safe... or curable."
Akihiro let the cloak fall, revealing the manacle-bound pallid arm.
Calmly, he stated:
"This is the issue."
Even prepared, Amid frowned at the pale limb with grotesque veins.
The corruption stopped just before the shoulder, thanks to the manacle.
It was her first such case.
"When did the plague manifest?"
"Two weeks ago."
Taking notes, Amid interrogated:
"Prior symptoms? Current pain?"
Akihiro answered honestly (though he knew Kazan Syndrome was incurable):
"No prior symptoms. It was sudden."
"The arm doesn't hurt, but I get migraines sometimes. And it's not contagious."
"..."
"Strange..."
If contagious, outbreaks would've occurred in Orario. Not just him.
The manacle clearly contained something.
"May I examine it closely?"
"Go ahead."
The sooner this ended, the more time he'd have for the Dungeon.
Lifting his left arm, Amid studied the grotesque veins beneath pale skin.
To her shock, the tissue wasn't necrotic... but *more robust* than a normal arm!
This defied her knowledge.
"Could it be... a curse?"
She knew Hestia was impoverished, but medical curiosity outweighed that.
"Is there truly no solution at all?"
The broken voice didn't belong to Akihiro, but to Hestia, who was already mentally calculating how much she'd need to borrow. If even the "Saint of the Battlefield" couldn't help them, no treatment in Orario would!
Amid remained silent, but her expression said everything. For the first time, she felt powerless in her own specialty. A dark mood overwhelmed her.
It was Akihiro who broke the tension with a carefree tone:
"This arm doesn't limit me. Actually, Doctor Amid, I'd like to bother you with another request."
"Could you certify to my goddess that I'm fit to venture into the Dungeon?"
"..."
It was a professionally irresponsible request. But upon seeing Akihiro's calm gaze—and remembering the precarious situation of the Hestia Familia—Amid felt something in her medical rigidity give way.
Is he trying to lighten his goddess's burden?
After a pause that felt eternal, the healer delivered her verdict:
"Akihiro's left arm shows no necrosis."
"Physically, there's no impediment to exploring the Dungeon."
It was a clinically objective analysis, but her voice took on a steely warning tone:
"But if you insist on this course..."
"Be prepared to face the consequences!"