'This is my future Familia member!'
Eyes sparkling, Hestia was practically about to hijack the conversation and make it all about herself. But since this was Hephaestus's shop, and the child had come specifically to see Hephaestus, it wouldn't be right for her to jump in. She held herself back, watching carefully from the side.
'The hood's unnecessary. I can't even see the child's face.'
At just 140 centimeters tall, Hestia couldn't see the face hidden beneath the hood. That only made her more anxious—like a kitten pawing at curiosity. She was desperate to see the child's face. After all, this child might become her very first Familia member. That meant everything.
Hephaestus noticed Hestia's fidgeting and let out a soft sigh, silently hoping Hestia would be a good fit for the child.
"There actually is one god who hasn't formed a Familia yet, who hasn't even managed to find a single member."
"Ah! Hephaestus, that's so mean! I'm not some useless god. I only just descended from Heaven, so I'm still not familiar with the lower world's rules. I just don't know how to form a Familia yet, that's all. I'm definitely not useless—I'm the great and mighty goddess of the hearth, you know!"
Even though she secretly agreed she was a bit pathetic, Hestia wasn't about to embarrass herself in front of her potential first Familia member. She straightened her back and did her best to project the dignity of a true goddess. Not that it made much difference—Bell had already formed his impression of her long ago.
'With how pathetic you look, what do you expect me to say?'
The one who understood Hestia best wasn't even Hestia herself—it was her close friends and frenemies. Her true friends cared deeply about her and paid attention out of concern. Her frenemies watched closely just to find material to tease her. Hephaestus, naturally, fell into the former camp.
As much as she wanted to speak kindly about Hestia, Hephaestus couldn't bring herself to lie. Telling a falsehood to a child who had just arrived in Orario wasn't something a god should do.
"This one's my recommendation. Hestia, this kid's been crashing at my place for a while. She's got a thick skin but no brains at all. If you haven't joined a Familia yet, you might as well join hers."
'I knew it—this goddess really has been freeloading at her friend's place without moving out.'
Bell wasn't particularly surprised. He already had a good sense of Hestia's character. She wasn't a dangerous goddess—just one who genuinely cared for her Familia. Sure, she was easy to pick on, but that softness only made her all the more protective of those she took in.
Simply put, she had a wonderful personality.
After a brief pause, Bell turned to Hestia-sama.
"Goddess Hestia, I'm just an ordinary boy from the countryside. I became an adventurer in search of strength. Would you accept someone like me?"
"Of course!"
Hestia puffed out her chest without hesitation. She never picked only the best among lower-world children. She believed that any child willing to join her Familia had to be a good one. And taking in good children—that was exactly what a goddess should do.
Of course, Hestia was also terrified that if she missed out on this one, she might never get another chance in Orario. Especially after Hephaestus's blunt remarks, she was sure her reputation had already spread throughout the city. No matter what, she couldn't afford to lose this one chance at gaining a Familia member.
"No matter what kind of child they are, once they join my Familia, they become my most precious family."
Bell believed her. Even if she had said those words casually, he took them to heart.
Now that he'd made his decision, keeping the hood up felt rude. He reached up and pulled it down, then gave a small bow to Hestia-sama.
"Goddess Hestia, please let me join your Familia."
"Oh!"
When Bell lowered his hood, Hestia finally saw his face. Beneath a head of fluffy white hair were calm, crimson eyes. His expression was minimal—almost emotionless—but she could sense the steadiness in his demeanor.
Gods had a fondness for beautiful faces; after all, no one liked having unpleasant sights around them all the time. To Hestia, this child fit perfectly with her sense of aesthetics.
Of course, what mattered even more was that she had just gained her very first Familia member.
"Of course."
In that moment, Hestia finally experienced what it truly meant to be a goddess with a Familia. And the fact that her first member also happened to match her tastes? That just made it even better.
"Then let's not waste any time—let's begin the Falna ceremony right away."
"Here? In my shop?"
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. Did this idiot seriously not know anything? The Falna ceremony was best performed within a god's own territory. After all, a member's personal status information needed to be kept private. If other gods happened to see any of it, it could lead to unnecessary trouble.
"Please, Hephaestus! You know I... still don't have a place of my own."
Hestia pressed her hands together pleadingly. Of course she knew it was better to perform the Falna ceremony in her own territory. But she had been freeloading at Hephaestus's place for so long, and without a single coin to her name, where was she supposed to find a home of her own? A decent piece of property in Orario wasn't something she could afford—not even with tens of millions of Valis.
Since her finances were effectively zero, she had no choice but to turn to Hephaestus for help—at least to let her perform this first ceremony here.
"Haa... Just this once. If you bring another Familia member here next time for a Falna ceremony, I'm kicking you out."
"Hehe~ Just this once!"
"In exchange, I want to see this kid's initial Falna status."
"No problem!"
Normally, letting another god view a member's status would be out of the question. But most newcomers had blank slates anyway—nothing significant enough to cause problems. Hephaestus understood that well. This was her way of giving Hestia both a warning and a little leeway.
As Hestia's friend, Hephaestus knew all too well that if you didn't rein this idiot in once in a while, she'd quickly get out of hand. But give her a little scolding now, and she'd remember the lesson next time.