After over fifteen days of continuous travel, this was the first time Bell didn't have to wake up early after a long journey and could just keep sleeping.
The sky was bright, and the sun shone on Bell's face.
The light made his closed eyes uncomfortable, and Bell instinctively raised his hand to shield himself from the sunlight, but it felt like something was holding his hand down, soft and gentle.
This made Bell feel confused and think, 'What's going on?'
He forced his eyes open against the bright sunlight, but it took a while for his eyes to adjust, and he finally turned his head to look at his arm.
"Hestia... sama?"
Bell stared in shock at Hestia, who was sleeping next to him with her arms wrapped around his, her body pressed closely against his.
He quickly glanced over at her.
Hestia wasn't covered by a blanket, but most of her body was pressed against his.
The soft feeling on his arm was because of her chest, but it was hard to explain exactly what it was like.
'Damn, So big.'
Even though he had long known that Hestia had an excellent figure, Bell couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
However, he carefully pulled his arm away, trying not to disturb her. It's not that Bell didn't want to take advantage of the situation, but it wasn't the time for that.
Bell took a deep breath and carefully crawled off the couch, but his movement was still large enough to wake Hestia, who was still sleeping.
"Bell-kun, you're up so early?"
Hestia normally wouldn't get up this early, and now she was still sleepy. Her eyes were half-closed, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
This sight made Bell shake his head slightly.
"Hestia-sama, I'm planning to head to the dungeon while it's still early."
These words instantly jolted Hestia awake.
She had already warned Bell about how dangerous the dungeon was yesterday, and hearing that he was going there was a little too soon for her.
"You're going to the dungeon so soon?"
"I understand your concern, Hestia-sama, but the dungeon is a place I must go. And even if I enter, I won't go too deep; I'm not strong enough for that yet."
Bell understood why Hestia was worried but knew he wasn't strong enough to go deep into the dungeon.
He knew full well that he was just a complete beginner, a novice who wasn't even as experienced as some of the adventurers who had already entered the dungeon.
"This time, I just want to see what the dungeon is like. I'll stay on the very first floor and just fight some monsters there."
The first floor should be a gathering place for beginner adventurers. It was a place for new adventurers to gain experience.
Even so, Hestia couldn't shake her worries from her heart.
The situation in the dungeon couldn't be accurately predicted, and strange things happen all the time.
This was evident from the fact that many people lost their lives in the dungeon. The danger is always there, and there's no real safety for adventurers who enter it.
However, Hestia also knew that Bell really wanted to get stronger and have more power.
The determination to go into the dungeon would not change. This was because those who wanted power usually had a strong desire that kept them going even more dangerously.
'I can't just stop Bell from going to the dungeon. This is Bell-kun's wish, and as his goddess, I need to do my best to help him fulfill it."
Even though she was very worried, Hestia's worry quickly turned into a smile.
She didn't want Bell to stop chasing after strength just because she was worried. With that in mind, Hestia decided to hold back some of her worries.
"Bell-kun, you've only just become an adventurer. As a newcomer who has just received the falna, you need to be extra cautious in the dungeon. I'll be here waiting for you to come back."
Bell's feelings were somewhat complicated, but he quickly accepted her concern and advice.
"Hestia-sama, I have my own goals and dreams. No matter how weak I am now, I can't just stop here. Hestia-sama, I promise you, I will definitely come back."
Afterward, Bell set off for the dungeon.
The underground tunnel leading to the dungeon wasn't very big. After learning about the reason behind Orario's construction, Bell understood that the tunnel was made small to stop the monsters from the dungeon from coming up to the surface.
It seemed that in the past, many monsters must have crawled out of the dungeon, especially before the city of Orario was built.
But early in the morning, there weren't many people at the entrance. Bell even noticed that there weren't many people on the streets either.
It seemed that the city wasn't entirely safe before the sun was fully up, but this danger probably came from the dungeon itself.
'I need to remember this,'
Bell always felt a mix of fear and respect for the city of Orario.
It was said that while there's no such thing as being too cautious when it comes to thieves, Orario was a city with no shortage of people with no morals.
He knew it was smart to always be careful.
He pulled up the hood of his cloak to hide his face and quietly walked into the Dungeon.
From now on, Bell needed to keep his hood up when going out to avoid being seen.
Once inside the Dungeon, he wasn't very amazed. It just looked like a big underground hole with many tunnels going in different directions.
Bell took out the map provided by the Guild from his storage.
Even though the lower floor of the Dungeon sometimes changes to confuse adventurers, the upper floors don't have this issue.
The first ten floors of the Dungeon remained the same, and the map provided detailed information about these first ten floors.
As for the information beyond the ten floors, only high-ranking adventurers knew it.
The Guild recommended that adventurers form teams, with new high-ranking adventurers guided by more experienced ones into the dungeon.
Even though the Guild's suggestion was made with good intentions, the other high-ranking adventurers aren't always that nice or helpful.