Night deepened.
The old church beside her stood in ruins, and Hestia's heart felt just as worn and fragile.
Too slow.
Dinner time had long since passed, yet Bell still hadn't returned. With a healer accompanying him, how could he be delayed this late?
Inside the crumbling ruins, the goddess statue had lost a piece of its form—its once gentle smile now twisted into a half-broken, eerie grin.
Hestia kicked the statue in frustration, feeling as though it were mocking her miserable state.
She had finally gained a Familia member—a strong and brave child. So why did every day have to feel so full of worry?
As she sighed to herself, the white-haired boy appeared at the end of the path.
"Bell!"
All the bitterness on Hestia's face vanished. She smiled brightly, waving him over with joy.
"Goddess-sama, I'm back."
Bell didn't seem hurt, but his clothes looked different from when he'd left.
"Welcome home. Did you change your clothes?" Hestia asked, immediately noticing something off.
That bloodstained jacket of Bell's was still with Heith.
To hide what had happened, Bell had secretly asked the tavern staff to buy him a new set of clothes.
When they heard his request, Syr and the others grew flustered, unable to decide who should go—especially with the two Cat People stirring up chaos beside them.
"I think Syr should go, nya."
"I disagree. That's too early for Syr, nya. Better to let someone familiar with the boy's body handle it, nya."
"Familiar with what, black cat? You just met him too!"
"Mew-huh-huh, I'm confident, nya. One look is all I need to know everything about his measurements, nya."
"What?!"
"Sorry, sorry! Just kidding, nya! Syr, stop scratching me, nya—!"
Before they knew it, the tavern staff were in an uproar again.
Just as they decided to settle it with rock-paper-scissors, the elf girl Ryuu returned with a neatly folded set of clothes.
Not only was the style identical, but the size fit Bell perfectly—almost suspiciously so.
Before things could spiral completely out of control, Bell thanked Ryuu and promised to treat her to a meal as repayment for the errand.
But that casual remark—"I'll treat you to dinner next time"—once again ignited a full-blown war among the tavern staff.
Their chaos ended only with Mia's furious roar, and as the cause of it all, Bell was promptly and mercilessly thrown out of the tavern.
Looking at the innocent, adorable goddess before him, Bell felt a gentle sense of comfort well up inside.
"Bell!" Hestia puffed her cheeks. "You still haven't answered my question."
"I did change into another set."
Mortals could never lie to gods without being seen through.
Bell didn't want to lie to Hestia, yet he also didn't want to make her worry.
Though gods might seem distant and powerful, they too were bound by mortal limits.
According to Eina from the Guild, gods in the Lower World couldn't use their divine powers, and their bodies were actually more fragile than those of adventurers.
What Bell needed to do was earn wealth and fame—to repay this pure and gentle goddess. Not to burden her with the nightmares he had endured and make her grieve.
"There was blood on my clothes from the fight. Instead of finding someone to clean them, I thought it'd be easier to just buy a new set."
He gave a vague, harmless answer.
Most adventurers cherished their gear deeply—but Bell, dressed in simple cloth, could only say such a thing.
Hestia eyed him suspiciously. "Hmm... fine. As long as you're back safe, that's what matters."
The two stepped into the church together, heading toward the hidden passage at the back.
The underground chamber of the Hestia Familia still felt like a place of peace and safety.
As soon as they returned to the basement, the goddess tiptoed lightly, leapt, and landed on the only bed in the room.
She gave her glossy black twin ponytails a little shake and said, "Come join me for dinner."
"Goddess-sama hasn't eaten yet?" Bell sat down beside her. The food laid out on the table had already gone a bit cold.
"Of course not. I have to wait for my Familia member to eat with me."
"Then let's not waste any more time."
Bell picked up a fried potato ball without hesitation and tossed it into his mouth.
He wasn't very hungry—he'd already eaten Syr's bento at the tavern—but there was no way he could say something so heartless.
Hestia hummed softly as she began to eat.
Despite being a goddess revered by many, her eating manner was unbelievably cute.
"Goddess-sama, you seem to be in a great mood today."
"Can you tell?" Hestia chuckled, a proud smile spreading across her face. "The shopkeeper raised my salary by thirty percent as a reward for my hard work."
Gods couldn't use their divine powers in the Lower World. Their only role was to bestow [Falna] upon their Familia members.
They granted power and relied on their followers to sustain them.
But Hestia's Familia only had one member—Bell. Like other penniless gods, she had no choice but to support herself through part-time work.
"That's amazing. Truly worthy of a Goddess-sama." Bell's resolve to earn money and grow stronger only deepened.
"Hehe, just leave the expenses to me from now on. Getting a raise after just one week—looks like I've got a talent for being a poster girl."
"A week? What did you do before that, Goddess-sama?" Bell asked casually.
Hestia's smile froze in place.
She'd been in the Lower World for over a month... freeloading at a friend's home.
To put it bluntly, she'd been living entirely off someone else—eating, sleeping, and lounging around all day. Reading, playing, and indulging in a lazy, carefree life.
If Bell ever found out, her dignity would crumble instantly.
Breaking into a cold sweat, Hestia stammered, "I was just... helping my divine friend Hephaestus. After spending some time together, I got a little bored... so I decided to look for Familia members."
She wasn't technically lying.
Helping taste-test freshly cooked food counted as helping.
And she had indeed started recruiting because she was bored... she just left out the part where Hephaestus had kicked her out.
Out of old friendship, her divine friend had kindly given her a place to stay and a part-time job.
Those particular details, Hestia decided, would stay buried forever.
"Could it be that Goddess-sama has high standing among the gods?" Bell asked, sensing something off but choosing not to expose it.
"Hmph." Hestia placed her hands on her hips proudly. "When other gods see me, they all take a detour to avoid me."
Not only was she poor, but she also had the audacity to freeload wherever she could. The other gods naturally kept their distance—so her claim wasn't entirely wrong.
Bell smiled faintly. If that were truly the case, she wouldn't have gone so long without anyone joining her Familia.
To be a goddess and yet so honest and easy to read—it was hard not to find her endearing.
"Bell, you were doubting me just now, weren't you?"
"No, no, of course not."
"Gods can see through lies, you know! How dare you look down on me!"
Hestia grinned mischievously and lunged toward him, hands outstretched like claws, intent on punishing her insolent child.
But before her fingers could reach his face, Bell gently caught her hand.
"Goddess-sama, I'll get stronger. I'll make enough so we won't have to live like this anymore."
The words came so suddenly that Hestia was caught completely off guard.
"Mm..."
The usually cheeky, carefree goddess suddenly flushed with embarrassment.
She pulled her hand back, her ears turning pink like cherry blossoms.
After a moment of silence, Hestia took a deep breath and said softly,
"Let's update your Status, Bell."