Hestia's hands were around his neck, but due to her light build, Keare didn't feel much weight at all.
But this intimate contact…
Without some other soft touch, it was all fake.
It was also in the true sense that he felt Hestia's righteous grandeur, and he reached out to embrace her waist, then seriously suggested:
"Shouldn't we go eat first?"
"Today's Dungeon exploration was quite fruitful, and I'm very grateful for your care during this time, Hestia, so I'd like to treat you to a meal."
Hestia's gaze fell on Keare's handsome face.
She had indeed been very busy lately; even Hephaestus had said that she seemed to have changed her personality after recruiting a Familia member.
This direction was good.
To be a god, one must bear the responsibilities of a god, but that was all she could do.
Sealing her divine power, waking up early every day to work, and not returning home until evening, physical exhaustion was inevitable, but upon hearing these words,
Hestia always felt an inexhaustible surge of motivation.
Whenever she recalled the experience of picking up Keare, her heart was filled with gratitude, feeling that she had made the most correct choice in an incorrect environment.
"Of course, we should have a celebration feast!"
Hestia nodded emphatically, then shook her head and added:
"It should be me paying no matter what, Keare. I suggest you save this money you earned; you can use it to replace your weapons and armor."
"I understand your intentions; there will be many more opportunities in the future."
"Then let's follow Hestia's arrangements."
Keare looked at the beautiful young woman whose face was firm and brooked no refusal, and finally did not continue to be polite, but his gaze passed through the glass display window of the weapon shop.
When he saw the figure standing inside the weapon shop, he suddenly felt a sense of awkwardness, as if caught red-handed.
Compared to the petite Hestia, she was noticeably much taller, with short vermillion hair and a highly recognizable eye patch over her right eye.
She wore a white top paired with black trousers and black over-the-knee high-heeled boots.
"Hephaestus."
He naturally recognized her identity: she operated Orario's largest chain of weapon shops.
She was the goddess of fire and blacksmithing in ancient Greek mythology, and also Hestia's close friend, often unilaterally exploited by Hestia.
The weapon he used for Dungeon exploration was something Hestia had gotten from Hephaestus.
As the center of the world, the city of Orario was actually quite small.
Not to mention she was a goddess familiar to Hestia; Keare just hadn't expected to meet Hephaestus in this manner.
"Hestia."
"That…"
Releasing her arms from around Keare's neck, Hestia followed his gaze and saw the familiar figure with her arms crossed inside the shop.
It wasn't because of the intimate contact with Keare that she felt awkward.
It was just that when she saw him return safely, she couldn't control her excitement and scattered all the flyers she was supposed to hand out.
"I'll go explain it to Hephaestus first."
"Oh, by the way, Keare, do you want to come with me and meet her? She's Orario's goddess of blacksmithing, and my best friend in the heavens!"
"The weapon you're using now is from her Familia."
"If possible, I'd also like to meet this goddess. I might need custom weapons in the future, so it's good to have Hestia help with the introduction."
Keare's impression of Hephaestus was quite good; she could be considered a goddess of the same faction, and he would definitely be developing in Orario in the future.
Expanding his network a little would benefit him no matter what!
Following her into the weapon shop, Hestia hadn't even had time to greet her when the woman, whose side face was covered by her eye patch and hair but whose heroic spirit was undeniable,
examined the brown-haired youth with a curious gaze.
Hephaestus looked at Hestia, her tone teasing: "So this is the Keare you've been talking about incessantly for the past two days?"
"That's right."
When the topic turned to Keare, the young girl couldn't help but straighten her back.
Facing Keare, who had firmly chosen her despite the harsh environment, trained diligently, and didn't want her to worry even when injured,
Hestia's heart was filled with pride.
Keare didn't have much experience dealing with gods, but he felt he had to explain about the flyers scattered at the shop entrance.
He smiled apologetically: "Hephaestus, I'm sorry for scattering your shop's flyers."
"It's fine."
Hephaestus waved her hand casually. She couldn't very well say that he had messed up even more things, could she?
But her impression of Keare, who was willing to protect his goddess, was quite good. It was probably some special quality that deeply moved Hestia.
Only then could he willingly make changes.
"Is the weapon easy to use?"
"Extremely easy to use, especially when fighting Dungeon monsters. Without this weapon, whether I could have returned safely would be another matter entirely."
Keare's attitude was sincere.
These words were certainly not false; relying solely on 'Recovery' magic, he could only be a support member of a party.
"That's good then."
"If you encountered danger because of a weapon problem, I don't know how much I'd be nagged."
Hephaestus gently shook her head, considering her close friend's difficult financial situation, and also as a reward for Keare changing Hestia's personality.
She then added: "If your weapon gets nicks in the future, you can find the artisans of my Familia to repair it."
"If you still want to buy weapons, I can give you a suitable discount."
This was one of the few ways she could help; all weapons were crafted by her Familia's artisans, and giving them away would undoubtedly waste their effort.
He hadn't expected such an unexpected benefit from knowing Hephaestus.
Keare didn't act coy. Even if high-intensity combat damaged the weapon, he wouldn't need to replace it in a short time, saving that portion of expenses.
"Thank you, Hephaestus."
Naturally accepting Keare's gratitude, Hephaestus then turned her gaze to Hestia: "That's enough work for today."
"You can leave early."
"Hephaestus, you really are the best!"
Watching the two figures leave, her brief contact with Keare, a childlike appearance yet possessing a maturity beyond his age.
In terms of personality, he and Hestia complemented each other.
And what made Hephaestus most curious was the 'vessel' this child possessed.
Just how excellent must his talent be to make Hestia, who came to her that night, show an unprecedentedly serious attitude!
But she had a strong premonition.
Her inseparable and complicated fate with Hestia would only deepen due to Keare's appearance.
Hephaestus shook her head helplessly, her tone filled with emotion:
"I just wonder how far this child can go on his own."