"A familia's strength doesn't depend solely on its patron god."
"The familia's size, its members' average level, its reputation with the Guild, and... its finances are all factors we elves must consider when choosing where to belong."
"My family has some standing back home. They expect me to join a familia with at least a D rating, stable logistical support, and no fewer than two veteran adventurers at Lv.3 or above to guide me."
"So this isn't simply a matter of personal preference. I really couldn't explain this to my parents. I'm sure you understand what I mean."
"They would think I'd... placed my trust in the wrong person."
"And if I joined you, would our familia's headquarters be in this... building?"
"If I were injured, would the familia have enough funds to buy expensive potions for me? If I wanted to upgrade my equipment, would we have our own smith, or connections to a master from the [Hephaestus Familia]?"
After finishing, Leila took a step back and offered Haimo an impeccable elven bow.
"So thank you very much for taking time out of your day to meet with me, but I must decline your invitation. I wish you success in finding suitable familia members soon."
"Good luck, my lord."
With that, Leila turned and left, her steps light and without a trace of regret, as though she had merely asked the price of something by the roadside and discovered she had no interest whatsoever.
Haimo's raised hand froze in midair. The smile on his face hadn't quite faded, leaving him looking rather ridiculous.
Placed her trust in the wrong person...
That assessment really was as accurate as it was hurtful.
"Damn it!"
Haimo slumped back onto his stool in defeat and raked a hand through his hair.
This was already the third time he had worked up the courage to approach someone. His first two targets-a burly dwarf and a beastman boy-had walked right past him as though he were invisible before he could get three sentences out.
At least this elven young lady had been willing to stop and talk, even if every sentence had landed like a critical hit.
Sure enough, good looks alone were useless in this all-too-real world.
He gazed at the bustling crowds in the street. In the distance, the [Tower of Babel] pierced the clouds, the sole passage connecting the surface to the Dungeon.
Countless adventurers formed parties of all sizes and headed there in high spirits, or emerged laden with spoils.
They belonged to all sorts of familias: the powerful [Loki Familia], the [Freya Familia], or smaller, emerging groups working hard to make their way.
And then there was Haimo, a god without a single follower, looking utterly out of place.
This really is a hell-difficulty start...
Haimo lamented inwardly.
Transmigrating as a god sounded amazing.
But in reality, the gods of heaven had to obey the lower world's rules to enjoy its entertainment. They voluntarily sealed away most of their power, retaining only their immortality, divine presence, and ability to bestow falna upon mortals.
In every other respect, they were just like mortals.
They got hungry. They got tired.
A god without a familia was like rootless duckweed, unable to accomplish anything.
No matter how powerful their divinity was, they couldn't use it while it was sealed.
Want to fight monsters and grind dungeons?
Sorry, gods weren't allowed inside the Dungeon.
Thus, recruiting familia members was the only way for a god to establish themselves in the lower world.
So if a god wanted to recruit familia members...
They needed something to attract them.
Connections, money, and ability-all were necessary.
Yet Haimo's divine identity was virtually unknown in this world!
Granted, he was a transmigrator.
But he wasn't some nameless god. In distant heaven, in that divine realm where even time grew indistinct, his divine identity bore many titles that made the other gods take notice.
[Lord of Arms], [War Calamity], [Ruler of Iron and Blood], [Gravedigger of Civilization], [Midwife of Civilization], [Source of Chaos], [Terminator of All Things], [Last King].
His origin lay not in mythology, but in a multitude of concepts.
-From the moment the first ape learned to chip a stone into a point and use it to pierce the skull of prey or its own kind.
From the moment the first bronze sword took shape in a furnace, ringing out with a clear clash.
His divinity had been born amid those flying sparks and flowing blood.
As long as intelligent beings fought over their interests, as long as one living being still raised a butcher's blade against another, his divine flame would never go out, and his throne would hang high above mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Thus, Haimo represented the entire course of conflict within a species, from the first tentative stirrings of war to the ** of warfare spreading like wildfire, and finally to destruction and annihilation, along with every single factor that drove that process-
Sounds impressive, right?
It's practically a final boss's backstory.
But so what?
Here, in this land called Orario...
Nobody! Knows! Me!
Haimo still clearly remembered the scene when he had excitedly rushed to the Adventurers' Guild to register as a god.
He had rattled off that long string of titles.
The half-elf clerk named Eina had gone from a polite smile to utter confusion, then finally to an expression that said, "Are you making fun of me?"
Haimo could still picture it vividly.
"Ah..."
"This is rough..."
Haimo sighed again and picked up the rejected recruitment sign from the ground, ready to pack up and head home.
It looked like today would be another day with nothing to show for it.
Gods might not die, but the gnawing misery of an empty stomach was painfully real.
Maybe...
Should I really give up on starting my own business?
The Hephaestus Familia recruits apprentice smiths all year round. With my divinity, finding a place there as a master smith wouldn't be bad.
Or I could help grind medicinal ingredients for the Miach Familia.
Miach is a kind soul, too. He probably wouldn't mind another mouth to feed.
Doing that would be an absolute disgrace among the gods, though.
Still, it'd be better than returning to heaven in humiliation or continuing to go hungry on the streets of Orario.
Just as Haimo was giving in to despair...
And wondering whether he should find a way to slip out of the city...
Lines of text suddenly appeared before him, glowing with a pale blue light that only he could see.
[Ding! Host detected surviving alone in the lower world for one month...] [Familia recruitment system activation requirements met!] [Starting up... 1%... 20%... 70%... 100%!] [System activated successfully! The Multidimensional Familia Recruitment System is at your service!]
A series of notification sounds rang through his mind. Haimo froze completely, and the recruitment sign fell from his hand with a clack.
Is this... a system?
The cheat every transmigrator needs has finally arrived, a whole month late!
The Multidimensional Familia Recruitment System?
Does that mean I can recruit members across worlds?
If I go to another world, will I be able to unleash my divine power?
Chapter 3: Aichi Kyosei Academy
After all...
In this world, he was a penniless god bound by its rules.
But in other worlds, he was a genuine patron god capable of unleashing mythic wars!
[Starter gift pack delivered. Open now?]
"Open!"
Haimo didn't even need to think before issuing the command in his mind.
[Opening starter gift pack...] [Congratulations! The host has received:] [1. World Selection (Basic) x1: Randomly selects a world to explore.] [2. Passive skill: Divine Appraisal. You can view detailed information about any non-divine being, including potential, skills, and hidden background.]
In an instant, a vast stream of information flooded Haimo's mind.
It didn't feel jarring, but rather as though an instinct that had always belonged to him had awakened.
Without thinking, Haimo aimed his newly acquired [Divine Appraisal] at a Lv.1 adventurer by the roadside.
Instantly, a translucent panel appeared beside the man, visible only to Haimo.
[Name: Rick Dorn] [Race: Human] [Level: Lv.1] [Potential rating: D (Unremarkable, with no special bloodline or talents. Estimated maximum level: Lv.2)] [Skills: None] [Magic: None] [Background: A farmer's son from the countryside who came to Orario hoping to get rich overnight. He has a cowardly disposition.]
Haimo: "..."
Damn, that's incredibly detailed!
It even laid bare private details like his "cowardly disposition."
This ability is the perfect tool for avoiding bad recruitment decisions!
In this scammer-infested Orario, seeing through someone's background at a glance means holding absolute control.
At that thought, Haimo suppressed his wild joy and forced himself to calm down.
Now isn't the time to stand in the street grinning like an idiot.
Haimo quickly scooped up the wooden sign and sprinted back to his dilapidated temple as fast as he could.
Bang!
The door slammed shut, cutting off the noise outside.
Even in the dim room, the light in Haimo's eyes was startlingly bright.
It's time to begin my true life as a god!
He found a chair that was still fit to sit on, settled down, took a deep breath, and willed the system into action.
A vividly clear, azure panel appeared out of thin air before him.