"Are you sure you're not forgetting anything? Do you have enough pairs of underwear or something?" my mother asked, her voice tight with concern even though she tried to sound casual.
I gave a small chuckle, adjusting the strap of my bag slung over my shoulder. "I already packed everything I need. You don't have to worry," I said calmly, trying to reassure her. But even as I said it, I saw her hands fidgeting, her fingers wringing the hem of her apron.
"R-Really… well, okay then." She looked away, her lips pressed into a thin line.
It was obvious she wasn't ready to let go yet.
But I was. I had already steeled myself for this journey.
"Not that I'm worried about you or anything," she mumbled, turning her back on me, arms crossed, pretending to busy herself with nothing.
I smiled faintly, knowing she was just trying to hide her emotions.
Just then, my father stepped forward, carrying something long and wrapped in cloth. "Here it is, Sirius," he said, voice steady but with a weight behind it.
He unwrapped it slowly, revealing a sword, its scabbard scuffed and worn by time. It wasn't ornate or expensive—there was no jewels and carvings on it—but it radiated a certain gravity.
"A sword I bought when I was young. Spent all my savings on it back then," he said, holding it with both hands. "If you're really going out into the world, I'd rather you take it than let it sit here and rust away."
He handed it to me with a solemn expression.
I took it carefully, the leather grip cool and rough beneath my fingers. It felt heavier than it should have, like it carried not just steel, but memories, pride, and the trust he had placed in me.
It felt sacred.
Even though I knew I wasn't ready to wield it.
Not yet. Right now, I was still just… weak.
From the corner of my eye, I saw my two sisters watching. Both were turned away slightly, their arms crossed, cheeks puffed out in a pout.
I had no clue why they were pouting, but I didn't want to leave without saying something. Who knew when—or if—we'd see each other again?
"You lazy bum of a brother," my younger sister snapped suddenly, without turning to look at me. "If you don't come back alive, I'll drag your sorry ass out of the afterlife and kill you myself!"
I blinked. That was… actually kind of sweet in her own twisted way.
"You must've had a clog in your brain to think of doing something this reckless," the older one said, finally facing me. Her eyes were sharp, but there was something softer behind them. "But if this is what you've decided... I'll stay here and hold the fort. That way, when you come back, this place'll still be standing."
They weren't being harsh anymore.
Maybe it was because I was actually leaving.
Even though we always bickered, we were still family. And deep down, we cared.
A strange temptation rose in my chest—I wanted to hug them. To do something dramatic and cheesy like in the stories.
But...
"No way. We're not that close."
"You're pushing it, Sirius."
They shut me down instantly.
Yeah... not quite there yet. But honestly, I didn't expect anything less.
Then my father stepped forward again. "Sirius," he said, voice firm but gentle, "before you leave… there's something I want you to know."
I met his eyes.
"I've always been proud of you. No matter what anyone says, I never once saw you as a burden. You are—and always will be—our son."
The words hit me hard.
I hadn't expected something like that. Not now. Not right before leaving.
My throat tightened.
"Be careful out there, dear," my mother added, stepping beside him. Her voice was trembling now. "And if… if there ever comes a day where it's too much, and you just can't go on anymore… then come home. We'll be right here, waiting with open arms."
"I will," I said. "If it ever comes to that… I'll come back. But I doubt it. I'm going to save Alice. No matter what it takes."
The wind brushed through the village as the sun began to dip low in the sky, casting long shadows over the dirt road that led out of town.
That day, the Goddess and I walked away from the only home I'd ever known.
Our first destination was the capital of the Valtierra Kingdom.
***
Valtierra Kingdom.
One of the four grand kingdoms of the human nations.
Situated at the heart of the Terriase Continent, it was the crossroads of civilization. It was a bustling hub where caravans rolled through day and night, and the streets overflowed with life.
It wasn't the largest kingdom, but it was the richest.
Its wealth hadn't come from vast farmland or military conquests, but from the meticulous and intricate trading network it had maintained for generations.
For hundreds of years, Valtierra thrived on commerce. Goods, people, knowledge. All of those passed through its gates.
The climate was warm year-round, its lands fertile enough to sustain, but not extraordinary.
Still, its true value lay in its connection to everywhere else.
It would be my first time ever stepping foot in such a place.
Up until now, I'd lived my entire life tucked away in a quiet, uneventful village, far removed from the noise of politics, trade, and ambition.
A strange sense of excitement churned in my chest, though I couldn't explain why. Maybe it was the wind brushing through the trees, or the soft crunch of dirt beneath my boots with each step away from the only home I'd ever known. Or maybe… it was the weight of something finally beginning.
"Ugh… Why am I, a goddess, walking…?"The girl behind me groaned dramatically, dragging her feet through the dust like every step was a personal insult.
She looked like she was already at the edge of her patience—and we hadn't even made it that far from the village. Her face, flushed with exertion, was twisted into a mix of disbelief and utter misery, like someone forced to do chores for the first time in her life.
"If you're already this exhausted from just walking, you're going to have a heatstroke down the line," I said, not bothering to hide my exasperation.
"Ugh… This is your fault! I would never be in this ridiculous state if not for you!" she snapped, stumbling a little over a rock before regaining her footing.
"Don't blame me for it," I replied with a dry sigh. "Besides, don't you think this is a bit of karma? I mean, you gave out blessings without so much as looking at who you were giving them to."
She glared at me like I'd insulted royalty. "I don't think I deserve this much treatment!" she cried. "How did it come to this?! Oh—I know! It's because of that punch! That punch is what let you meet the requirement to receive that blessing! It all started there!"
I shrugged. "If it were really that easy, anyone could do it, don't you think?"
"But you're the first one to ever do it!" she nearly shouted, her voice shrill with frustration. "Goddesses are supposed to be worshipped! Revered! No one is supposed to hit them! And because you broke that sacred rule, you got that stupid blessing! And now—I'm stuck here with you!"
She covered her face with both hands, fingers splayed across her cheeks like she was holding in a scream.
"Please… Just send me back..."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?!"
"For starters, I don't even know how to," I said bluntly. "And more importantly, you're going to help me save Alice. Which means… you're not going anywhere."
She stared at me in disbelief. "You really are a selfish human. How could you do this to me? Me! A goddess!"
I rolled my eyes and kept walking, the heat rising off the dirt road shimmering in the distance."How many times are you going to remind me that you're a goddess? I think I've heard it more in the past hour than I have in my entire life," I said. "Actually—wait. I just realized something. I don't even know your name. What is it?"
She looked at me like I'd just asked her to strip in public. "Why should I give my name to someone who enslaved me?"
I raised an eyebrow. "I think you've got the wrong word there. You enslaved yourself. That's a little different. And besides, isn't it a little unfair? You know my name, but I don't know yours. I can't just call you 'Goddess' the entire time we're traveling together. That'd be weird."
"It's only proper that you refer to me as 'Goddess,' since that's what I am," she said proudly, arms crossed beneath her chest. "And giving you my name would make it feel like we're… on equal footing. I'd rather not."
It was like talking to a brick wall made of glitter and self-importance.
I sighed again and kept moving, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.
Getting her to warm up to me was going to be a lot harder than I thought.
Not that I had a clue how to handle this kind of thing, anyway. My experience with women was limited to Alice—my childhood friend—my sisters, and my mother. Beyond that… I had no roadmap.