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

Hestia, her nose twitching from the delicious smell of oil and salt, stared intently at the contents of the bag.

"Hey Hephaestus, what's that?"

"This is a street food that can be found everywhere in Orario, and its name is—"

"—'Fried Potato Balls,' my little goddess. Would you like to try some?"

Following Hephaestus's reply, the woman, who wore an eye patch just like the chief god, laughed.

Faced with her own kin who started recommending food without even introducing themselves, and a fellow kamikaze who seemed to be reaching out for the freshly fried potato dish with great interest, Hephaestus gave a wry smile, while Hestia ate the "Fried Potato Ball" with an expression of challenging the "unknown".

"——、"

Immediately after taking a big bite, Hestia's small body trembled.

"Wow, this is delicious...!?"

"Hahaha, right?"

Ignoring the half-dwarf laughing beside her, Hestia stared wide-eyed at "Fried Potato Ball" and trembled with gratitude.

This is one of the many touching moments she experienced in the mortal realm—the moment she savored delicious food.

And then, this was the beginning of his downfall.

☆

"Kufu, fufufu... Ahahahaha!"

Three months later.

Inside the guest room of the Hephaestus Familia, which was borrowed until it was used to form a Familia, was Hestia lounging on the sofa, flipping through a book and laughing heartily.

On the plate next to her, the fried potato balls were piled up like a small mountain. She kept repeating the cycle of eating, reading, laughing, and then eating again.

That small body showed no sign of wanting to go outside the room.

"...Wait a minute, Hestia? It's about time you started persuading the children. Let me make this clear, raising the [Family] banner isn't as simple as it sounds—"

"Ah, it'll start tomorrow—"

Facing Hephaestus's arrival in the guest room, Hestia answered with her eyes glued to her book. For the past three months, the young goddess, a newcomer to the lower realm, had maintained this demeanor.

With eyes gleaming, Hestia searches for Lower Realm delicacies, led by Potato Balls, and books from the Lower Realm to read. Completely mired in the "Entertainment of the Lower Realm" that has captivated so many gods, Hestia puts its skills to good use.

In other words, they have given up on themselves.

Hestia, who always stayed indoors in the celestial palace, lazily passing each day, was enhanced by acquiring "entertainment in the mortal realm"—the best way to kill time. She received potato balls and new books through the help of the members of the Blacksmith God's guild, and spent her entire day in her room.

Despite Hephaestus's countless visits to check on things and offer advice, the young goddess declared, "I'll get serious starting tomorrow." For the next day, and then the day after that, she continued her shut-in life, forgetting everything about forming a "familia."

—And so, faced with Hestia, who wouldn't listen to anything and craved depravity and pleasure at will.

Finally, Hephaestus's patience reached its limit.

"—Get out of here!!!"

"What?!"

Dragged all the way to the entrance of the main camp, and then kicked out the door, Hestia collapsed to the ground in an unseemly manner. "What are you doing?!" Just as she was about to protest and raise her head, there stood a red-haired, red-eyed wrathful god, arms crossed, standing like a statue of Niou.

"I let you stay here out of kindness, but you just laze around all day doing nothing..."

"H-Hephaestus...?"

"I shouldn't have let you... go and experience the harshness of the lower realm! I'll never let you cross my threshold again!!"

The furious Hephaestus, who had instilled fear in Hestia from beginning to end, slammed the door shut without a word. The young goddess, looking utterly pathetic after being so thoroughly expelled from her stronghold, swayed as she stood up.

"What's wrong with Hephaestus? It's just a little enjoyment of life in the lower realm... only three months, what's the big deal?"

Hestia, who was grumbling about her dissatisfaction according to the standards of an immortal god, said "Oh well," and walked away from the front of the base camp towards the bustling city streets filled with humans and demi-humans.

"I'll form a [Family] and find you a place to live right away. This is also to show Loki what I'm capable of!"

Finally remembering her initial goal, she began to wait in a corner of the street.

While living a life of self-destruction, Hestia also realized that the necessary funds in the lower realm were crucial. She grumbled, "It's better for a child to aspire to be an adventurer—" and observed the comings and goings of people to see if there were any unattached children.

(I don't seem to get along with that kid. That kid is of bad character... That kid is a bit too young.)

With his mysterious blue eyes, he saw through the true nature of many children, including those from the Amazons, orcs, and dwarves.

Even in her decay, Hestia remained a deity, vaguely understanding the nature of each child. She could grasp a person's character simply through conversation. There's a famous saying in the mortal realm: "Children cannot lie before gods."

Continuing her search for children who seemed to resonate with her and could identify with her, Hestia discovered a fairy woman. "That child is perfect!" she exclaimed as she approached.

She struck up a conversation with the young man, who was boastfully equipped with a bow and arrow and a quiver, and lightly armed, and who was about to embark on the speculative career of adventure.

"Hey, Fairy Lord! At first glance, it seems you haven't formed a contract with the gods and won't join my [Familia]!"

She was energetic, enthusiastic, and without losing any dignity as she puffed out her chest to persuade him, while the other fairy stared intently at her from head to toe, as if trying to get a good look at the short Hestia.

"It may be somewhat rude, Your Majesty, what is your name?"

"I am Hestia!"

"【Hestia Familia】...Never heard of it. If it's a newly emerging faction, where is its headquarters? How many members does it have now? What is its financial status?"

"Huh, huh?"

Faced with the fairy's barrage of questions, Hestia was at a loss for words.

Did she gradually realize something from her inability to answer anything? The other person's beauty, which was praised as that of a forest fairy, turned cold, and she narrowed her eyes.

What is the operational strategy for the "Family"?

"Um... Xi, I hope to make money back in the dungeon—something like that..."

Just as she was about to brush off the completely unplanned incident with a dry laugh, the fairy opposite her cast a gaze that was colder than ice. There was no time for a proper greeting or bow, and she turned her back to the young goddess who had neither majesty nor anything else remarkable about her.

"Wasting time," it was said, as the child's figure receded into the distance.

"I was... I was looked at like I was a piece of paper...!?"

"I am clearly a god...!" Hestia was shocked.

As a newcomer to the lower realm, she had no idea that exploration-oriented "familias" typically prepared outside the city before moving in. Without gathering personnel and assets beforehand, it was difficult to make dungeon exploration a means of livelihood for a faction. At the very least, one could foresee how difficult the road ahead would be. Those who aspired to be adventurers risked their lives, and it was self-evident that they would want to join a "familia" with a favorable environment and greater wealth.

"W-what? This is just the beginning! If we keep persuading them, someone at this level...!"

To make matters worse, the goddess herself was all alone, and the fact that everything from the adventurers to everything else had to be arranged on-site was simply intolerable. This offered no benefit to the children; all they saw was hardship.

Moreover, it is common knowledge that Orario—no, the Lower Realm—is home to a number of troublesome gods whose intelligence is beyond human comprehension. Getting involved with them would be disastrous, a point on which everyone agrees.

The only thing she could articulate about her views on factions, which she couldn't even properly explain, was ranked alongside those cheerful gods. In other words, she was 'untrustworthy'.

By dusk, her attempts at persuasion had all ended in failure.

"Total annihilation...!? Is this what surviving in the lower realm is like...!?"

Gaining faith, no, trust, is difficult.

This was Hestia's first realization of the harshness of the lower realms.

☆

"Waaah, Hephaestus..."

"You... it hasn't even been a day since you were kicked out."

The day after experiencing her first night sleeping on the streets in the mortal realm, Hestia could only cry as she went to her friends.

After receiving the baptism of the lower realm, Hestia abandoned her reserve and bowed her head to Hephaestus—and for several days afterward, Hestia continued to seek Hephaestus's help.

"Hephaestus, oh..."

Sometimes they would pester you by saying they had no money.

"Hephaestus, sob sob..."

Sometimes she would cry and complain about not being able to find a job that paid a daily wage.

"Hephaestus, sob sob sob..."

Sometimes he would say that there was nowhere to shelter from the rain, pleading as he was soaked to the bone.

Hephaestus was deeply troubled by Hestia's apparent inability to do anything without divine power. While she had vowed not to spoil her divine friend, she couldn't let her die in the streets either. Finally at her wit's end, the red-haired, red-eyed goddess sighed deeply—"That's enough," she said, making a promise and giving Hestia a place to live.

This is a secret hidden room deep in a forgotten alley, beneath a dilapidated church.

"Thank you, Hephaestus...!"

"Seriously, I mean it, is this really the end?! I've already introduced you to a part-time job, but from now on you'll have to take care of everything yourself!"

Hestia was led to this church by a very caring friend, and she nodded, saying "Hmm!"

After parting ways with Hephaestus, who returned with a sigh, Hestia stepped into the basement of the half-ruined church, making it her stronghold.

"Uh, what did you just push onto me, Hephaestus...?"

Upon seeing the state of the church's basement, Hestia couldn't help but groan.

It was completely incomparable to the guest room we borrowed three months ago; it was dilapidated. The paint was peeling off the walls, and there were cracks in several places. There was only one magic stone lamp hanging from the ceiling. As if to be considerate of Hestia, they brought in some beds, sofas, and other household items, but they were all old things.

"Forget it, I can't be too greedy... I'll settle down here eventually!"

He was shouting to himself, half of it, and began by checking and tidying up the room.

Hestia checked the presence of magic stone items, especially the water pipes, and adjusted the position and height of her belongings to suit her small body. By the time she finished, it was late at night. With a sigh of relief, Hestia looked around the room from the center.

"...It's very spacious."

Her small lips murmured to herself in fragments.

"Although I'm used to being alone in the Celestial Realm... it seems quite lively where Loki and Hephaestus are."

What comes to mind are the faces of the fellow villagers' gods, surrounded by children and their families.

Loki, though seemingly treated like a nuisance, still wore a happy expression. Hephaestus, admired by her fellow members, was even greeted with a smile by Hestia. All the other gods they had encountered so far seemed happy and content.

I've seen this expression countless times, an expression I've never seen before in the celestial realm.

"Damn it, I'm not lonely at all."

The lines, which sounded like bravado to themselves, echoed in the cold basement.

Hestia, who had been standing there, turned off the light of the magic stone lamp and climbed into bed.

"...What kind of children will my clan have?"

What kind of child will take your hand?

Hestia thought to herself as she untied her hair, which was haphazardly tied with rope, and lay on her back on the bed.

A little lonely and uneasy, and then a little expectant.

The emotions and thoughts about the future that every mortal inhabitant experiences in the lower realms can feel. Hestia, as a goddess, also sensed this, and soon closed her eyes.

☆

From this point on, Hestia's hardships—her true life in the underworld—began.

Basically, they had to be self-sufficient. They had to find their own way to feed themselves, and they completely failed in their attempts to recruit and persuade members of their own "family" to support them, leading to a life filled with frustration and devastation every day.

With the 'divine power' that had enabled her to do everything sealed away, Hestia, who was suffering day after day, was reminded of the 'harshness of the lower realm' that her divine friend had always talked about.

There was entertainment, excitement, and joy. However, compared to other things, life on Earth was difficult for a god, Hestia thought painfully. She had mistakenly used the ignition device at the potato ball-shaped open-air shop at her workplace, causing the entire shop to explode. Soon, she was burdened with enormous debt, and tears even streamed down her face.

However, even amidst those hardships, there were fortunate encounters.

Hestia is adored by her coworkers, who have a childlike appearance, and by Mih, a kind-hearted god from a small [Familia], and by Naza, a dog-person from his Familia. This god and his [Familia], whom Hestia first encountered in this lower realm, often help her as allies in poverty. The fact that she can reunite with Takemikazuchi, whom she knew from the Celestial Realm, in Orario—and that he too is working hard due to extreme poverty—supports Hestia's determination to persevere.

Thus, six months later, they found themselves in the lower realm—Orario.

About three months after being driven out by Hephaestus, on a sunny day...

"Rejected again..."

Hestia slumped her shoulders as she tried to persuade the 50th member of her [Family] that day, which had just failed.

Since arriving in Orario, she's lost count of how many times she's tried to talk to the children. Facing Loki, who came specifically to mock her while working in Hestia, she consistently displays an embarrassing state, unable even to talk back.

"No results today either?" she thought as she trudged down the street—at that moment.

A boy came into view.

(Is that a human child...? I feel like they have a look of dejection that's no less than mine.)