I, Ritsuka, The Siscon Grand Hero

The Tower of Babel is situated above the dungeon, acting as a massive 'lid.' The first floor serves as the entrance and exit to the dungeon, while the second and third floors are public spaces established by guilds for adventurers.

From the fourth to the twentieth floor, all are shops catering to adventurers, fully stocked with equipment, items, materials, and more.

As for the floors above the twentieth, they are reserved for the gods of the high-ranking Familias in Orario to reside.

The master of the Tower of Babel's highest floor is Freya, the true 'Goddess of Beauty.' In the Heavens, she had already captured the hearts and bodies of countless male gods with her beauty and abilities.

She is the undisputed number one goddess in the Heavens.

This goddess is very mysterious; besides gods and her Familia members, very few people have the fortune to glimpse her appearance.

And at this moment, on the highest floor of the Tower of Babel under the starry night, Freya, holding a goblet, suddenly trembled and crouched on the ground.

"Too beautiful..."

Her fair fingers traced her cheek, her snow-white, smooth face possessing an incomparably stunning beauty.

The Goddess of Beauty, Freya, was currently displaying her charm in an extremely ungraceful posture, her infatuated expression causing others to feel ashamed.

A faint sound murmured from her lips, Freya's beautiful eyes were dazed, staring directly at the plaza below the Tower of Babel, at Emiya Ritsuka who quickly retreated upon sensing her gaze, looking as if she was about to 'orgasm.'

Perverted goddess.

The reason for her losing composure was her incredibly wondrous eyes.

These eyes could see through the essence and brilliance of souls; outstanding individuals were completely exposed in her sight.

As this was an innate talent, even after the gods descended and their divine powers were sealed, she could still use this talent. Her Familia's strength was inseparable from her eyes.

If her eyes didn't approve of someone, she naturally wouldn't take them into her Familia.

And those whose souls radiated brilliance often had the potential to achieve great things. Naturally, the strength of Freya's Familia grew steadily.

Despite being a goddess, she herself was extremely obsessed with shining souls. Therefore, the moment Ritsuka appeared within her sight, she could no longer avert her eyes.

That extremely bright soul was even somewhat dazzling.

What was most perplexing was that a layer of lonely gray covered that soul...

It made Freya utterly unable to stop herself.

"A great hero whose heart is clouded, who has lost their way, who once looked down upon the world?"

Freya, in a cross-legged position, dazedly reached out in the direction where the brilliance had disappeared, her beautiful eyes slightly moist, her cheeks flushed.

In this instant, compared to souls who might become heroes in the future, she became immensely interested in this figure who might already be an unparalleled hero but was self-sealed.

There was probably nothing more satisfying than awakening the slumbering passion in a hero's heart...

(Actually, what she saw was merely a disguise covering the surface, the great deeds of Heracles' twelve trials.)

"I must have her... she is mine..."

"My lady?"

Through the open door, a man who had just arrived at the top floor of the Tower of Babel changed his expression and quickly entered the room.

This man was a legend of Orario, the only Lv. 7 adventurer, the undisputed strongest, the Pigman 'Brawler' Ottar!

The next moment, Freya waved her hand and turned to look at her trusted subordinate, Ottar.

"Ottar, notify all members of the Familia to search for a girl with orange-red hair... she belongs only to me!"

"Orario, what an interesting place."

In the early morning, Ritsuka, who had spent the night at the library, stretched by the roadside, recalling the information obtained last night and muttering to herself.

After understanding the basic information in just over ten minutes, Ritsuka had a good night's rest on the second floor of the library. It wasn't that she didn't want to seize the time to learn specific details, but rather that she couldn't understand any of the books in the library.

She didn't recognize the writing system of this world.

Although everyone seemed to be speaking Japanese, the text in the books gave her a feeling of returning to the mythological era.

This morning, seeing demi-humans all over the streets further strengthened the sense of the mythological era.

This world was a real-life version of "fight monsters and level up." Accepting a god's 'Blessing' and joining their Familia allowed one to adventure in the dungeon and grow stronger. It sounded like a perfect fit for a typical shonen manga system.

"Ah, the Pocky is gone."

Opening the Crystal Dice, the side where snacks were placed only had a few bags of chips and similar items left. Of the biscuit stick series, only an empty box remained.

Helplessly placing the box back, Ritsuka calmly looked at the blue and white sky.

"Miyu..."

She reached out as if trying to grasp the sky, Ritsuka pursed her lips.

Even though she had survived beyond imagination and arrived in an interesting world, she felt a sense of boredom, an emptiness in her heart.

No matter how interesting the world was, it couldn't provide the same sense of security as the Emiya Residence, which wasn't large but was occasionally quite lively.

"Emiya girl, I've prepared some vegetable pancakes, would you like some?"

From behind, the kind old man from the library called out.

After last night's suggestive Magecraft, Ritsuka had learned a bit about the old man. He hadn't joined a Familia yet and didn't seem to have any family.

Despite that, he had a cheerful personality, and after she dispelled the suggestive Magecraft, he treated her very well.

"Hehe, in that case, I'll gratefully accept. But I can eat a lot, you know."

Laughing, Ritsuka entered the library and sat with the old man at a small square table. On it were a few flatbreads and two bowls of rice porridge. The meal wasn't rich, even a bit simple, but it held a touch of warmth.

Ritsuka clasped her hands together and silently recited "I'm home" in her heart before beginning her morning energy replenishment.

Back when I didn't have much money, Miyu and I used to eat breakfast like this...

After breakfast, Ritsuka left the library. After arranging to stay there for a few more days with the old man, she went out for a stroll.

She had no intention of becoming an adventurer for now. She even wanted to understand the situation of this world, then open a restaurant, and perhaps research the highly lethal Mapo Water.

Before leaving her previous world, she had secretly pocketed a bottle from a Mapo Ramen shop and stored it in her Crystal Dice.

A moment later, Ritsuka, with not a single cent in her pocket, was happily munching on a bag of fried potato balls as she once again stepped into the large plaza outside the Tower of Babel.

Scorching gazes fell upon her, as if trying to roast her alive.

"Who is it? So annoying."

Ritsuka took a bite of her fried potato ball, her dead fish eyes lifting.

The stares from the Tower of Babel were incredibly intense, not holding back even a little. Just as Ritsuka was about to make a run for it, a sturdy figure blocked her path.

The newcomer was clad in a long robe, his hood obscuring most of his face, but Ritsuka could feel him staring at her.

After a moment of thought, Ritsuka narrowed her eyes. "Is it the one from the Tower of Babel? Did they send you?"

"Yes, my Familia's Goddess wishes to see you."

Ottar the Pigman met Ritsuka's gaze with a powerful aura, his brows furrowed tightly.

With his strength, it was impossible for anyone other than a Lv. 6 adventurer to be unfazed and calmly eating fried potato balls.

But there were only a few Lv. 6 individuals in all of Orario, and Ottar wasn't old enough to forget such things.

This girl is strange!

"Let's skip the meeting. Please let me pass; I'm not interested in your Goddess."

Conflict was almost imminent, yet no one around seemed to notice.

Ritsuka continued to eat her fried potato balls as if nothing were happening. Her Crystal Dice suddenly reacted, appearing and slowly displaying a scene.

Section 58 Chapter 52: Optional Quest

The confrontation with the strange Demi-human quietly dissolved. Ritsuka paid him no mind.

Compared to this adventurer who was sent to find her at the behest of a Goddess, she was more sensitive to the changes in her Crystal Dice. That thing was her Golden Finger.

Amidst the tension, small text appeared on the transparent light screen.

Quest Name: Path to the Future

Quest Type: Optional

Quest Requirements: Join any Familia and become an adventurer.

Quest Difficulty: Low

Quest Reward: A brand new character template (corresponding to the current world)

A brand new version... pfft, a brand new quest. The Crystal Dice had, for the first time, shown something different from Ritsuka's impression.

This thing can actually issue quests?

However, it seemed a bit laid-back. It gave rewards upon completion, but it was fine if she didn't do it. The Crystal Dice didn't impose any mandatory requirements; the quest type was 'Optional.'

This was quite interesting.

Multitasking, Ritsuka pondered the Crystal Dice and the quest while observing the burly Pigman adventurer before her.

His strength was likely not weak; the aura emanating from him was quite astonishing. Although not as strong as the girl who used the King of Heroes Class Card, he was still a considerable expert.

Perhaps slightly stronger than the one who used the Saber Class Card... if you excluded Noble Phantasms.

Most importantly, this guy was quite tall. In Ritsuka's memory, only the giant-like Heracles could possibly surpass him in height.

A rough estimate put this Pigman at least two meters tall.

"Whether or not you meet my Familia's Goddess isn't up to you to decide."

"Hm? Then, by any chance, is it up to you?"

Ritsuka took a small step back, ready to move.

The next moment, Ottar's very sturdy-looking hand lunged towards her, but she easily twisted to the side, evading it.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Ottar's eyes. With his speed just now, even a Lv. 4 adventurer would have difficulty dodging, yet the girl opposite him did so effortlessly, even with a hint of casual grace.

A serious look appeared on his face as Ottar stepped forward, intending to grab Ritsuka, who was quite slippery in the crowd.

This was someone the Goddess wanted, so naturally, he couldn't let the other party get hurt.

'This guy is underestimating me...'

Ritsuka made a judgment and suddenly attacked with lightning speed.

Fists clenched, he delivered a fierce blow.

An astonishing force erupted from his slender arm. Ottar, reacting instinctively, crossed his hands to forcefully take the hit. He immediately grunted, his feet sliding back a meter.

Sliding sideways and pressing down, Ritsuka then braced himself with both hands on the ground, kicking his feet directly at Ottar's stomach.

The Pigman man was immediately lifted off his feet, his body flying backward in a C-shape.

This Pigman doesn't seem to be good at speed…

Bang—!!

The powerfully built man crashed through a crowd of bystanders and slammed directly into the statue in the center of the plaza. The statue, made of an unknown material, shattered upon impact.

After kicking Ottar away, Ritsuka landed with a backflip, then immediately turned and bolted.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, there was such a loud noise all of a sudden."

"...Wait, wasn't that flying person the 'Brawler' Ottar!?"

The crowd became noisy, with many people gathering out of curiosity. Those who were more quick-witted began searching for the person who had sent Ottar flying.

However, Ritsuka ran incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from sight.

At full speed, Ritsuka leaped onto the rooftops of shops, then sprang off the platforms, like a nimble monkey, giving off a feeling similar to that famous primate from a certain animated movie.

Escaping the commotion in the plaza, Ritsuka jumped from the rooftop into an alleyway. Mid-air, he lightly patted his chest with his palm.