Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Although the portion was small, the eggs had just been fried using the magic stone igniter, and the yolks were still steaming warmly.

"So, how was your first time venturing into the dungeon? Was it alright?"

"Uh, I was very nervous the whole time, so I wasn't able to explore properly, but... now I can fight monsters. Whether it's goblins or earth spirits, once I defeat them, things become much easier."

To celebrate Bell's first exploration of the maze, a simple meal was enjoyed in a pleasant atmosphere.

Even though they couldn't prepare fine wine to celebrate, Hestia and Bell still broke off pieces of bread and put them in their mouths, enjoying the hot fried eggs while chatting and laughing.

"But I'm relieved to know that Bell has become a decent adventurer. I was a little worried that you'd be chasing girls around the dungeons."

"I...I would never do that!"

Hestia's somewhat sarcastic remarks prompted Bell to shout loudly.

Seeing the boy blush and deny it, Hestia asked, "Is that really true?"

"Aren't you looking for an encounter with a girl? If you see a cute female adventurer, you might abandon your monster and run off to chat her up, right?"

"Hooking up with girls...! No, no, I don't want to associate with girls out of any evil intent... Okay, a little bit... Anyway, what I want to do isn't to hit on girls, but to pursue a fateful encounter! Like in those epic tales!"

"Didn't you also mention a harem?"

"The harem is a man's romance. Every man should pursue a harem; even heroes of ancient times did..."

Bell, her cheeks still flushed, closed her deep red eyes and began to speak passionately.

Despite shrugging slightly, Hestia continued to gaze slowly at his face. Looking at his still somewhat youthful features, Hestia fell into deep thought.

The more you learn about Bell Craney, the more incredible he seems.

Despite being unusually late-blooming, he is attracted to girls. He recklessly seeks encounters with the opposite sex. He says one thing and does another. Whether good or bad, his essence is pure, but behind it all lies a set of questionable thoughts that subtly influence his words and actions.

Hestia judged that Bell's unstable way of dealing with people must be related to his "grandfather".

This caregiver, who frequently appears in the various topics Bell discusses and waves with a smile, played a pivotal role in shaping the boy's personality.

What kind of elite education (brainwashing) was this? Hestia was both surprised and amazed by Bell's grandfather, whom she had never met. If she hadn't mistaken her adoptive parents, Bell wouldn't have become such a contradictory character. Bell's roots, the source of his actions, all came from this grandfather; it seemed there was no doubt about that.

A young man's interest in the opposite sex, or rather, his search for a "fateful encounter," is always a kind of longing.

It was a beautiful fantasy passed down from his grandfather, or perhaps deeply rooted in his heart.

The boy's eyes sparkled with delight at the beautiful story, dreaming of encountering something wonderful.

This is the true face of the boy, Bell Craney.

Perhaps it would have been better if he had been born a girl, Hestia couldn't help but have this blatant thought.

"My grandfather once said that a man's lifelong wish is to meet a girl. So I..."

"..."

Hestia watched Bell's enthusiastic commentary with nonchalant indifference.

She understood this young man, who was a member of her family, even more.

○

Just as Bell went into the dungeon to support his "Family," Hestia did the same, working part-time during the day to earn money.

Having only recently descended to the mortal realm, Hestia, much like Bell when he first arrived in Orario, was figuring out how to get by each day. The unfamiliar life in the mortal realm often left her feeling disoriented, but these experiences, which she couldn't enjoy in the celestial realm where self-degradation was the norm, allowed her to personally experience the "wonderful aspects of the mortal realm" that the other gods had been describing.

"Here, Hestia. Here's today's money."

"Thank you, Auntie."

She was grateful to accept the daily wage given to her by the orc woman.

Hestia works at a stall on North Street. They mash potatoes, add seasonings, coat them in batter, and deep-fry them into bite-sized snacks called "potato balls" for sale.

Adding a little bit of flavoring agent seemed to work, and business was doing quite well.

(One, two, three... one hundred and eighty Pharisees.)

She worked six hours today, which adds up to thirty falies per hour. Although she knew this from the beginning, counting the gold coins in her hand still made Hestia sigh.

She had previously misoperated the ignition device, causing a massive explosion at the stall—only Hestia was blown to bits, while the others were unharmed—and the stall's losses nearly wiped out Hestia's wages. Earning so little would likely be far from easing Bell's burden.

For the goddess who had just descended from the heavens, the mortal world was truly a difficult place to make a living.

Instead of reflecting on her failures, Hestia was thinking about this.

"Hey, Auntie, why don't you join my [Family]? A young adventurer boy has joined recently, and things are going very well for him."

"Haha, it's no use saying anything more. Hestia is really persistent."

"Why?! Please!"

Her daily attempts to persuade people to join her "Family" were met with ridicule, and Hestia embarked on her journey home.

The faction's obscurity is certainly one reason, but his own lack of imposing stature probably also has its problems.

Before leaving, the landlady patted her head and gave her a fried potato ball—Hestia sighed again at the fact that she was not treated with any reverence as a god.

"I stayed up quite late today..."

Hestia tossed a potato ball into her mouth, chewed it with puffed-out cheeks, and walked down the twilight-tinged street.

She usually gets home before sunset, so today's work has definitely dragged on longer. Perhaps Bell has already gone back to headquarters, Hestia thought to herself as she walked.

The hidden room of the church, the headquarters of the Hestia Familia, is located in the area between Northwest Street and West Street. Therefore, if you are starting from North Street, where you work, you should head due west.

Passing through a residential area lined with elegant brick houses, you'll see increasingly dirty alleyways and unpretentious buildings, with one point serving as a boundary. Following this route, you'll pass old prop shops, long, winding inns, and small suburban hotels, until finally the view opens up dramatically, marking your arrival at Northwest Street.

The main street where the guild headquarters is located is also known as "Adventurer's Street." As the name suggests, many adventurers stroll along the street. Large shops line both sides of the street, far surpassing the shops seen in the back alleys.

“…Huh?”

As the setting sun sank behind the city walls surrounding the city, Hestia, who was crossing the street, happened to witness that scene.

A white-haired boy stood alone in front of a store.

(Bell...?)

The boy from her [Family] stood with his back to the crowd of adventurers walking down the street, seemingly peering out at something. Seeing Bell pressed motionless against the shop window, Hestia stopped in her tracks.

After a while, Bell seemed reluctant to leave the store. It took him a while to look away from the window before he slowly walked away.

After confirming that Bell had disappeared into the crowd, Hestia jogged to the shop where he had been standing.

"...So that's how it is."

When she peeked into the shop window that Bergé admired, she understood.

Behind the glass window were many weapons on display. Several razor-sharp metal swords gleamed with a powerful and exquisite luster.

I don't know if he was just attracted by the sight of it by chance, or if he knew he couldn't afford it but still came to the store every day out of envy.

In any case, it's certain that Bell was very interested in the weapon displayed in the window.

"Hmm... okay, then I'll do it..."

Hestia crossed her arms in front of her chest, pondered for a long time, and then nodded generously. For the sake of her lovely child, she would do what a chief goddess (mother) should do. Because of what had just happened, the little goddess wanted to loudly proclaim herself a goddess, so she decided to generously give Bell a gift.

"I should be able to afford it if I use all the money I've saved up," Hestia thought with a smug smile, her eyes closed, as she prepared to walk into the shop in front of her.

She recalled the approximate location where Bell's gaze had been fixed and located the dagger he was likely looking for. The pure white blade stood in a jewel box deep within the shop window, and even Hestia found it beautiful.

Just then, the price tag for the dagger caught her eye. She was about to reach for the shop door when she squinted, making a soft "Hmm?" sound.

"Eight million Fali".

Hestia gently closed the door that was halfway open.

(Forgive me, Bell.)

"I can't do anything about this," Hestia said, cold sweat dripping down the back of her head, as she cautiously stepped back from the doorway.

The price is outrageous. All of Hestia's possessions are as insignificant as a goblin facing a dragon.

"Eh? Where is this..."

Looking up at the shop painted red, she realized it belonged to her friend.

The Hephaestus Familia, a top-tier forging clan. It's also the closest Familia Hestia has recently settled in since her descent to the mortal realm.

Looking up at the billboard of the world-famous brand [HφαιστοS], Hestia ran away dejectedly. "No way I could afford it," she thought. Still stubbornly clinging to the thought, "Bell, you need to consider your own worth!"

Having missed the chance to display her goddess-like majesty, Hestia sighed countless times as she walked towards the headquarters on the maroon stone pavement.

(...the headband is about to break.)

Halfway down Northwest Street, she gazed at her reflection in the shop windows.

The simple hairband that held her glossy black hair in two ponytails was not only torn but also frayed, making it obvious to anyone that it needed to be replaced.

Hestia gently touched the headband that made her look even more pathetic, and saw a ceramic doll displayed on the inside of the shop window, reflecting her image.

The little dolls, dressed in formal attire, are adorned with jewelry and other protective accessories for adventurers. Among these female dolls, dressed in items from the store to attract customers, are also those wearing cute headbands.

"..."

Hestia stared at the pale blue ribbon in the hair of a porcelain doll, then snapped back to reality after a few seconds, her shoulders swaying as she shook her head, telling herself she shouldn't do this. She lectured herself, reminding herself that as a goddess, she shouldn't waste money.

Her gaze kept drifting towards the hairband, and after stealing a few glances to the side, she finally steeled herself and turned her face away abruptly.

She seemed to be enduring something, pressing down on both sides of her hair ribbons with her hands, entering the back alley, and escaping from Northwest Street.

"..."

A pair of deep red eyes, which hadn't obediently gone home and had been wandering around nearby, witnessed the whole thing, but Hestia was completely unaware.

●

A few days later, the Hestia Familia had been established for almost a week.

Hestia pouted as she looked at the scene before her.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late..."

Bell returned through the headquarters gate, covered in dirt and rags, looking as if he might fall apart at any moment.

I looked up at the clock; it was nine o'clock in the evening.

"...Bell, aren't you working too hard lately?"

"N-nothing?"

Hestia asked with an indescribable expression, and Bell simply replied with a wry smile, "I'm fine."

Bell has been like this for the past few days.

He rushed out of headquarters early this morning, spent the whole day in the dungeon, and only came back this late. Moreover, he made a complete mess of his clothes, armor, and even his own body.

Although Bell was already passionate about the adventurer profession, his demeanor and attitude were completely different from the previous two days.

"God, this is the money I earned from today's exploration."

"Ah, oh..."

He handed the small flaxen bag to Hestia with a clanging sound.

Bell's earnings from exploring dungeons are given to Hestia as a fund for the Familia. Of course, most of the money is used for exploration preparations such as purchasing items and repairing weapons, and Bell will keep a small amount of pocket money for himself at the end.

Upon untying the bag's opening, a quick calculation revealed a profit of five hundred falies. Assuming Bell had kept at least a thousand falies with him for the next exploration, this was indeed a considerable sum compared to the previous days, a testament to Bell's hard work spending all day in the dungeon.

But it also makes people feel that he seems to be making money for some other purpose.

"...Hey, Bell."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Hestia called out to Bell, who looked exhausted and was preparing to shower and change, and slowly asked him a question.

Was it divine intuition? She was a goddess after all, and she could sense that Bell had something he hadn't told her.

Startled by the question, Bell was clearly at a loss for words.

"Ah, hahaha... What are you saying, god? How is that possible?"

"..."

Hestia stared coldly at Bell, whose smile was completely fake.

She ignored his unreliable statement and pressed him with a sharp look, demanding that he tell the truth quickly.