Danmachi- The Heroic Legend of Emiya!

Chapter 4: The Gods and Falna

"What's wrong, Shirou? Are you still feeling unwell somewhere?"

After their conversation, Shirou, Hestia, and Bell had introduced themselves to each other.

At dinner time, when Shirou seemed at a loss holding a piece of bread, both Hestia and Bell showed expressions of concern.

"No, it's just… is this really okay? You don't have to go this far to take care of me, do you?"

Shirou spoke hesitantly.

After understanding the current situation of the Hestia Familia, he clearly realized what kind of hardship this goddess and her sole follower Bell were going through.

Even such plain bread was a precious food for this familia, and there was no reason they should share it with an outsider like him.

"What are you saying? You're Bell's savior! If it weren't for you, Bell would've died in the Dungeon!"

Hestia said this without hesitation, expressing her deep gratitude to Shirou.

Bell also nodded and said, "That's right. It's thanks to you, Mr. Emiya, that I survived the Dungeon. If possible, please let me repay this favor. I'll work hard in the Dungeon to earn money and get your body healed!"

In Bell's eyes, Shirou was gravely injured because of him, so he was eager to head back into the Dungeon right away to earn enough money to get Shirou treatment from a healer in Orario.

But Shirou knew very well that his injuries came from Angelica's full-powered attack using the "Broken Phantasm," as well as the life-and-death battles he endured afterward against numerous Dungeon bosses.

That's why he didn't just accept the Hestia Familia's kindness lightly. After taking a small bite of the bread, he slowly said: "If that's the case, let me join your familia too. I shouldn't be eating your food for free."

"Eh?! Really?!"

Hearing Shirou's words, Hestia's eyes lit up even more than Bell's!

Due to the rules between gods, they cannot freely use their divine powers in Genkai, making them almost no different from ordinary people and requiring them to rely on their followers for sustenance.

Thus, the main way for gods to distinguish themselves is through the number and strength of their followers.

Having even one powerful follower can directly change a god's status.

The strongest familias in the Dungeon City all have gods who command many powerful adventurers.

Hestia, however, was relatively unknown and only had Bell—a weak Level 1 adventurer—under her command, making life difficult.

But if Shirou joined, things would be different.

Putting aside that her number of followers would immediately double, according to Bell, Shirou had instantly defeated a Level 2 Minotaur—he might already be at Level 2, or even stronger.

Having such a strong ally join could drastically improve the dire state of the Hestia Familia and even open up new opportunities for advancement.

So, after getting Shirou's agreement, Hestia almost couldn't wait to invite him to join her familia and bestow upon him the divine blessing.

The so-called Falna is the main method for a god to establish a bond with a follower.

The divine power bestowed by the god takes root in the follower's body, allowing them to break past human limitations and reach heights otherwise unattainable.

Bell became a member of the Hestia Familia and a Level 1 adventurer only after receiving Hestia's Falna.

"Ahh, I didn't expect someone else would want to join our familia this quickly. Maybe I'm actually a really capable goddess after all—haha, just kidding."

Hestia joked to lighten the mood.

Shirou and Bell didn't say anything in response, only giving bitter smiles as they looked at the goddess who tried to find joy in hardship.

"Well then, Shirou, take off your clothes."

"Take off my clothes?"

Though such words would normally be considered sexual harassment, neither Hestia nor Bell showed any strange reactions—they acted as if it were perfectly natural.

So Shirou obeyed, removing his shirt and placing his hand on his pants.

"Y-You don't need to take off your pants!!"

Hestia exclaimed, her face bright red.

Her appearance was less like a goddess and more like an innocent, inexperienced young girl, which made Shirou instinctively think of his little sister.

But he quickly pushed away such meaningless associations and followed Hestia's instructions, lying on the only sofa in the room with his back facing upward.

"—Hiss—"

Once Shirou lay down completely, both Hestia and Bell gasped.

They finally realized just how many wounds were on Shirou's body. His skin was riddled with injuries—his battered body didn't even seem like it belonged to a living human. In such a condition, the fact that Shirou could still move, let alone behave normally, was far beyond what could be attributed to sheer willpower.

Cough cough...

Hestia's initial excitement cooled. She no longer saw Shirou's joining as a pleasant surprise, but rather felt a responsibility to care for someone so frail.

Bell, too, silently resolved to return to the Dungeon the next day and earn money to get Shirou medical treatment.

"Shall we begin?"

"Ah, right. Let's start."

Prompted by Shirou, Hestia snapped back to attention. She placed her hand on Shirou's back, took out a needle, and pricked her fingertip. A droplet of her blood fell onto his back.

As the divine blood touched Shirou's back, it rippled like a drop in a still lake, gradually spreading out.

"…The reaction is so faint… Shirou, have you ever received a blessing from another god before?"

"I don't think so."

"I see…"

Hestia was somewhat puzzled, but since her only experience was with giving the Falna to Bell, she had no basis for comparison and could only assume this was within the range of normal.

She then began drawing her divine crest on Shirou's back, starting from where her blood had dropped.

When the marking was complete, it symbolized that Shirou had officially become a member of the Hestia Familia.

However, even after everything was done, Hestia still wore a bewildered expression.

Because Shirou's status values appeared… strange.

To put it simply, Shirou's stats were a jumbled mess.

When she granted Bell his Falna, his abilities like strength, agility, and endurance had all been clearly displayed.

But Shirou's stats were so blurred they were unreadable.

Only the magic section had one legible word—

Unlimited Blade Works.

But even the skill itself appeared in a nearly broken state—its details were unreadable, and its existence seemed as fragile as a candle in the wind, ready to vanish at any moment.