After escorting Lefiya back to the "Twilight Manor." I retraced my steps through the city. Incidentally, the café I visited earlier, Wieshe, and the new home of the Hestia Familia were relatively close to each other, even though they were on different streets.
This technically made my trip redundant, but I couldn't exactly bring Lefiya along to meet Bell and the others. …Huh, me? I'm fine tagging along since I've been involved in what went down today anyway.
What happened today was the Hestia Familia's recruitment interviews. Hestia-sama had asked me for help, so I ran all over the city distributing flyers and even asked some merchant caravans to spread the word to nearby towns.
Thanks to the War Game, the name of the Hestia Familia had skyrocketed in fame. Under normal circumstances, this would have resulted in a flood of applicants, effectively pulling the Familia out of its "small faction" status. However…
On the way to the Familia's home, I picked up a bit of information. Word spread quickly, thanks to some gods gossiping about it: apparently, the Hestia Familia was a faction saddled with a two-billion-valis debt bomb. …How? Despite all their heroic exploits, Bell and the others' situation hadn't improved at all.
By the time I arrived at the Hestia Familia's new home, I saw Lili stepping out of the building.
"Yo, Lili."
"Oh, Toki-sama."
Lili looked slightly fatigued as she recognized me. …For a moment, Asfi's face crossed my mind, but I kept that thought to myself.
"What brings you here?"
"I heard some rumors. Since I was partly involved in today's events, I thought I'd check on things."
I answered Lili's question honestly.
"I see… Actually, I was just about to head into town for reconnaissance, but…"
"I've already gathered some intel on that front. I'd like to discuss it. Mind if I come in?"
Lili hesitated briefly before nodding.
"If it's you, Toki-sama, I don't mind. I trust you."
"Thanks."
Following Lili, I stepped into the new home of the Hestia Familia.
𓂀═════════════𓂀
The new home of the Hestia Familia was actually a remodeled version of the former Apollo Familia home, which they had taken over after the War Game. Though modest in appearance, it didn't lack refinement.
The entrance was adorned with an emblem featuring flames and a bell, a design Hestia-sama had come up with when the Familia was reestablished following their victory in the War Game. Bell had been quite proud when he told me about it a few days ago.
As I entered the stone-built home, Lili guided me to the living room. There, I found Bell, fast asleep and groaning faintly, while Hestia-sama tended to him.
"I'm back, everyone." Lili announced.
"That was quick, supporter girl. …Oh, Toki?"
"Good evening, Hestia-sama." I greeted her with a slight bow before approaching Bell. His pale complexion made it clear he wasn't doing well.
From my pack, I pulled out a basket of fruit I'd bought on my way here.
"Here, a little something to wish Bell a speedy recovery."
"Oh, thank you!"
"I wanted to bring something more celebratory, but…"
Hestia-sama's cheerful expression darkened the moment I added a hint of sarcasm. …Oops. Guess I overdid it.
"Hestia-sama, the cleanup is done… Huh, Toki?"
"Hello, Welf, Mikoto. Or maybe it's better to say good evening?"
I greeted the two as they entered the room.
"Since we're all here, let's get to the point. Hestia-sama, care to explain what's going on?"
Lili's sharp words cut to the heart of the matter, and everyone's eyes turned to Hestia-sama.
In the meantime, I moved closer to Welf and quietly asked about what had transpired. According to him, the recruitment interviews had taken place as scheduled around midday. A large number of applicants had gathered, but during the process, Mikoto had inadvertently discovered and revealed the existence of a two-billion-valis debt contract. And she'd done so right in front of the applicants.
The result? Over a hundred hopeful recruits scattered like frightened spiders, leaving the Familia with zero new members.
As an outsider, I had to say that the blame lay not only with Hestia-sama for taking on such a massive debt but also with Mikoto for blurting it out. I couldn't help but think that if Mikoto ever joined my Familia, the [Hermes Familia], it wouldn't last a week.
As I mused over these thoughts, Hestia-sama began to speak, her voice heavy with guilt.
It was, as I had suspected, about Bell's Hestia Knife. Hestia-sama had begged her divine friend, Hephaestus, to craft it. According to her, the knife had unique abilities that only Hephaestus could replicate. The price for such a weapon? A staggering two-billion-valis debt.
Welf was astonished to learn the knife was Hephaestus' handiwork, while Mikoto was dumbfounded by Hestia-sama's boldness in taking on such a monumental debt.
Meanwhile, Lili glanced at me, signaling it was my turn to contribute.
"…I gathered some intel on my way here. The fact that the Hestia Familia owes two billion valis has already spread throughout the city, thanks to the gods. With this rumor circulating, it's unlikely anyone will want to join."
Bell groaned in disappointment, still lying down.
"Let's be real… Two billion valis is bad. Really bad." Welf said, breaking the silence.
"Terribly bad." Mikoto added with a grim expression.
All eyes turned to Lili as she began to explain the situation.
"Most of the compensation we received went into the home's renovations. The Familia's remaining funds are minimal. Additionally, the victory in the War Game and Bell-sama's rank-up have elevated our faction's rank to E, which means higher guild taxes. You'll need to prepare for an annual tax of over a million valis."
The atmosphere grew heavier with each word Lili spoke.
"In other words… To pay off this debt, we'll need to dive into the dungeon more than ever and significantly increase our earnings."
A tense silence fell over the room, broken only by Hestia-sama.
"D-Don't misunderstand me! This is my debt! I'll pay it off myself! No, I have to pay it off on my own!"
Hestia held a sheet of parchment in one hand, thumping her chest with the other. That parchment was likely the loan contract. My gaze drifted to it, and I couldn't help but question its contents.
"Excuse me, Hestia-sama, could I take a look at that contract?"
"W-Why would you want to?!"
"I just have a few concerns."
Reluctantly, Hestia handed over the document. Scanning its contents confirmed my suspicions, it was peculiar.
"Hestia-sama, this contract doesn't mention interest or a repayment deadline. Do you know why that is?"
"Interest? Deadline?"
Seeing her genuine confusion, I momentarily found myself at a loss for words.
"Interest is an additional cost paid on top of the borrowed money. It's essentially the fee for using the loaned funds." I explained patiently.
"W-What?! I didn't know that!"
"And a deadline is the agreed-upon timeframe to repay the debt. Without one, creditors run the risk of the borrower never paying them back."
"There are other factors to consider, and interest calculations can get more complex. Does anything come to mind?"
"N-No, nothing."
"It seems, then, that this is an exceptionally lenient loan. No interest and no deadline, quite rare. While such terms are unheard of among Orario's adventurers, they're common in dealings with outside merchant caravans. Keep that in mind for the future."
"O-Okay."
I returned the parchment to Hestia, who softly murmured a "Thank you, Hephaestus."
"In any case, this debt is mine alone to bear." she said firmly. "You've all seen me working part-time jobs, right? Every valis I earn goes toward repaying the knife. With no deadline, I'll pay it off even if it takes centuries. It was wrong of me to keep it a secret, but I promise, I won't burden any of you with this."
Her declaration left Lili and the others exchanging uneasy glances.
"But…"
It was then that Bell slowly sat upright.
"Hestia-sama… You went into debt for my sake to give me this knife, didn't you?"
Hestia didn't answer. But her silence spoke volumes.
Realizing the depth of her sacrifice, Bell clutched his chest. The Hestia Knife had always been his most reliable weapon, adapting to his rapid growth. Its importance to him was immeasurable.
"Don't trouble yourself over this, Bell. I chose to, "
"Hestia-sama… I want to help repay it. Please, let me."
"If you help, it'll make me look bad…"
She chuckled wryly but reached for the hair ornament she wore. It was the same one Bell had bought her long ago after they worked hard together to earn money. Back then, it was Bell who had pleaded with her to let him assist.
"I will repay this debt, no matter how many years it takes. But in return, I need you all to keep me standing when I falter."
Her words left Bell and the others wide-eyed. It was a bond of trust between a goddess and her familia, a testament to their unity.
"Even though I'm just a debt-ridden goddess… Is that okay?"
"Of course!" Bell answered instantly.
"We can't say no when Hestia-sama puts it like that." Welf added with a chuckle.
"Yes, let's do our best." Mikoto agreed softly.
"Just promise us there won't be any more surprises like this!" Lili huffed.
The group formed a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Naturally, I stood outside of it, an observer, an outsider. Truthfully, I'd missed the perfect moment to excuse myself.
While I stayed silent, Bell and the others began discussing their future plans. When Bell, now their official captain, gave an enthusiastic "Let's do this!" the others responded with a resounding "Yeah!"
Thus marked the true beginning of the newly reborn Hestia Familia.
"Alright! To celebrate, let's feast on a hearty meal tonight!" Hestia announced with vigor.
"Stop squandering money already!" Lili protested. "Starting today, we need to cut back on expenses. Hestia-sama, your spending habits are a disaster!"
"Aw, come on! Just tonight, okay?"
"No, absolutely not!"
Their bickering grew louder. Approaching them, I gently placed a hand on Lili's shoulder.
"What is it, Toki? I'm busy…"
"It's no use, Lili." I said solemnly.
"What do you mean?"
"Defying the whims of a god is a Herculean task. Accept it."
"But!"
"Our best option is to minimize the damage." I said with a sigh, pulling out a parchment and quill.
"This lists all the places in Orario that sell cheap meat and fish. Use it wisely."
"Toki… Thank you!"
"I'll come by later to teach you more about financial management. Good luck, Lili."
Turning on my heel, I made for the exit. I couldn't ask for forgiveness, but I could offer my silent encouragement.
There was only one thing left to say: Hang in there.
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