The moment Hestia's gloved hand touched Yoru's back, she let out a startled yelp and flopped backward like she had been electrocuted.
"What the heck are you doing now?"
Yoru let out a frustrated sigh, straightened himself up, and sat back down with a puzzled look, staring at the goddess who was now trembling at the edge of the bed.
"Hestia? What's wrong… Are you okay?"
"S-So cold… It's freezing…"
Hestia's face was pale as she whimpered. A thin layer of frost had formed over her gloved hands.
Frost…?
Yoru paused, eyes fixed on her hands, his expression tinged with guilt.
"…Sorry. I don't know what's happening either. Are you hurt?"
Did I scare her? Will she be afraid of me now? Won't even come near me?
As these thoughts ran through his head, Yoru leaned forward, intending to help her back up from the floor.
But what he expected didn't happen.
Instead, after just a brief hesitation, Hestia let out a gleeful shout and launched herself at him like a koala, wrapping her arms around his head.
"Wah—what are you doing?! Get off me!"
"Treasure! A treasure! That must've been magic, right?! It had to be! My Familia gained a magic blessing the moment our contract was formed!"
"I don't even know what you're talking about—just get off my face!"
Yoru struggled to pry her off, but Hestia was far too caught up in her excitement to care. It wasn't until Yoru stumbled, dragging her with him as they crashed to the ground, that her overenthusiastic squealing finally came to an end.
"Owwww…"
Yoru had landed face-first on the floor, and Hestia had become the cushion for his fall. She ended up taking the brunt of the impact.
Hestia curled up like a hamster, rubbing her head with teary eyes, while Yoru, who had nearly been smothered to death by her rather divine proportions, lay there gasping for air like a man rescued from drowning.
"Have you calmed down? If so, then please—explain everything properly."
Yoru sat up again with a long, helpless sigh, watching her with tired eyes.
"I got it, I got it…"
Realizing Yoru truly didn't understand anything, Hestia finally started explaining, bit by bit, all about Familia, Falna, and how things worked in this world.
After a good while, Yoru nodded slowly, having grasped the basics of the world he now found himself in. Then, with an odd expression, he looked at Hestia.
"So… you're a goddess, huh?"
"That's right! I'm a full-fledged goddess! So? Do you feel a little bit of awe and admiration for me now?"
Hestia puffed up proudly and struck a majestic pose.
"…How do I put this? Kind of a dream killer, really. I mean, a goddess living in such a tiny, rundown place…"
Yoru said lazily, completely deflating her mood.
"T-That's…! That's only because I'm training my willpower by living in hardship! That's all! Really!"
Hestia flailed in panic, but Yoru's next line hit her even harder.
"Let's be honest… you're just poor. And you said I'm your only Familia member, right?"
"Ugh… you're bullying me…"
This time, Hestia pouted and teared up for real, leaving Yoru both exasperated and amused.
This is a goddess?
She's just like a bratty little girl who hasn't grown up.
"Alright, alright. Don't cry, my dear goddess. Why don't you teach me what I'm supposed to do as your Familia?"
Maybe it was because he couldn't stand seeing a girl cry in front of him, or maybe… the word "family" had tugged at something inside his heart.
Yoru gently leaned forward and pulled her into his arms.
The moment he embraced that soft, warm figure, he felt the last traces of cold within him melt away—replaced by a warmth that gently seeped into his soul.
Everything about his past, everything besides his name, had been buried in a grave of frost and silence. Maybe he didn't even have proof of his existence in this world anymore.
But at the very least… this girl before him had accepted him as family. And since he had nowhere else to go… he figured he might as well be her family too.
"Mhm! As my Familia member, you have to listen to everything I say, okay? And if there's anything tasty or fun, I should be the first person you think of!"
Hestia, still blushing slightly from the hug, lowered her head shyly before saying those words with an air of solemnity.
"…And how is that any different from being your slave?"
Yoru muttered with a dry smile. Hestia glanced up at him from his arms, looking a bit flustered.
"W-Well, we're family from the very beginning, right? So let's work hard together—from now on, for the glory of the Hestia Familia!"
"For the glory of the Hestia Familia… huh?"
Yoru softly repeated the name. As he looked at the smiling girl in front of him, something stirred in his chest. Then, under her puzzled gaze, he gently took her hand in his.
The state of this house, his role as her first and only member… all of it weighed on Yoru's heart.
A goddess… and yet she's fallen this far.
He couldn't help but feel a little pity.
"…I promise. I'll make the name Hestia known and respected throughout the entire Dungeon."
He whispered those words beside her ear, his voice gentle. Hestia blinked in surprise at first… and then nodded firmly.
"Mhm! That day will definitely come!"