Dragging his exhausted body, Kai arrived at the Guild’s front desk and dumped the entirety of his daily haul in front of the receptionist.
Her name was Eina, and she was one of the few people in the massive city of Orario who had shown him genuine kindness.
In a place like this, goodwill from others usually hid darker intentions, but Eina was different; she was simply a genuinely good person.
“Miss Eina, I’ll leave this to you!” Image: Eina Despite his physical exhaustion, Kai’s spirits were higher than ever.
The bag of Magic Stones on the counter represented the very first sum of money he had earned as an adventurer, and it meant the world to him.
“Kai!?
Are you okay!?” Eina cried out.
Sitting behind the counter, she immediately recognized him.
Kai’s face was far too distinctive to forget.
From the moment he first arrived in Orario and asked her if any Familias were recruiting, she had remembered him.
Just yesterday, when he and Hestia came to officially register their Familia, Eina had felt genuinely happy for him.
Yet, only a single day had passed, and the boy standing in front of her looked like he had been put through a meat grinder.
“I’m fine, really!
I spent today practicing combat on the first floor.
I was a bit careless since it was my first time fighting monsters, but I’ve already taken a potion.” “I see…
Kai, you must remember that the absolute worst thing an adventurer can do is take unnecessary risks.
Never challenge something beyond your capabilities, do you understand?” “I’ll remember that, Miss Eina.
But for now, could you please exchange these Magic Stones for me?
My goddess is waiting for me to come home for dinner.” Looking at the lingering excitement on Kai’s face, Eina let out a helpless sigh.
However, she dutifully began to count the Magic Stones for him.
One, two…
thirty-four of them!?
“Kai, exactly how long were you in the Dungeon?” “Huh?
I headed in around seven this morning.
Since the Dungeon looks the same everywhere, I only just came out.
So…
about ten hours, maybe?” “…You are incredibly lucky to be alive!” Eina’s face darkened with visible anger.
Grabbing Kai by the arm, she snatched up the Magic Stones and dragged him straight into one of the Guild’s private consultation rooms.
Normally, these rooms were meant for advisors to discuss matters with rookie adventurers.
In reality, they were mostly used as soundproof spaces for advisors to brutally chew out reckless idiots who didn’t value their own lives.
Case in point: right now.
“Mr.
Kai!” ….
Kai stumbled out of the Guild’s front doors, his head spinning.
Thirty minutes…
did anyone know what he had just endured for thirty solid minutes?
Eina’s normally sweet voice had slowly morphed into the terrifying tone of a strict high school English teacher as she delivered a non-stop, non-repeating lecture.
Every time Kai sat there looking like he was about to nod off, Eina immediately cast a physical ‘Awakening Spell’ on him in the form of a sharp pinch.
His arms were now covered in fresh bruises.
Miss Eina packed a surprisingly mean grip.
Of course, Kai knew she was only doing it for his own good.
If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have wasted her breath.
It was exactly this kind-hearted nature that made Eina so incredibly popular among the adventurers.
However, since most adventurers lived from one day to the next, very few actually confessed to her.
If they had urges, they just took a trip to the Ishtar Familia’s Pleasure Quarter.
To most of them, Eina was a pure, untouchable idol—best admired from afar.
With his hard-earned Valis in hand, Kai didn’t immediately return to the basement of the ruined church.
Instead, he jogged over to a bakery and spent half of his day’s earnings on a honey cake.
It was a gift for Hestia.
He just wasn’t sure if she would actually like something so cheap.
“Lady Hestia, I’m home!” Pushing open the door to the church basement, Kai spotted Hestia lying on her stomach on the sofa, her legs kicking idly in the air.
She was holding a book.
It seemed Hestia really liked reading; maybe he should buy her some rare books next time?
“Kai, you’re back~” Hearing his voice, Hestia executed a flawless backflip into a sacrifice tackle, finishing with a crowd-control root.
Before Kai could even react, he had an adorable koala clinging to his chest.
Instinctively, he reached out to pat her head, but quickly realized how disrespectful that was to a goddess.
He quickly used his free hand to support her waist so she wouldn’t fall.
Evidently, the boy didn’t realize that holding her by the waist was vastly more intimate than a headpat.
If a headpat was disrespectful, holding his goddess like this was downright scandalous!
“Lady Hestia, please get down.
Oh, right, I bought you a honey cake.
I hope you like it.” “Hehe~ As long as it’s from you, Kai, I’ll love it.” To Hestia, Kai meant the world.
Back when she lived with the Hephaestus Familia, she had tried to recruit countless adventurers, only to be rejected every single time.
Yet, on the very first day she was kicked out onto the streets, she met Kai.
To her, it felt like a fateful encounter.
Plus, Kai was incredibly handsome, which instantly maxed out her natural affection for him.
Hestia hung off Kai for several minutes while he stood frozen like a wooden board, too scared to move a muscle.
It wasn’t until his stomach let out a loud rumble that she reluctantly climbed down.
Funnily enough, even though Hestia was the Goddess of the Hearth, it was Kai’s body heat that made her feel so warm and reluctant to let go.
“You must be starving!
To celebrate your return from your first adventure, I’ve prepared a grand feast!” Hestia dragged Kai over to the dining table.
Despite her claims of a “grand feast,” the table only held a single roast fowl, a fish, and some vegetables.
Still, as the deity of the hearth, Hestia’s culinary skills were top-notch.
Even these simple ingredients radiated an absolutely mouth-watering aroma.
“It smells amazing, Lady Hestia.” “I told you to just call me Hestia!
Hurry up and sit down, Kai.
Try this Sweet Madame, it’s delicious!” “Don’t mind if I do—wow, it really is good!
You should eat too, Lady Hestia.” Kai tore off both drumsticks and placed them in Hestia’s bowl.
One drumstick represented a Familia member’s respect for their goddess, while the other was the result of Hera’s lifelong teachings: a man should always take care of the girls around him.
He also picked out the most tender meat from the fish’s belly and placed it on her plate.
Kai thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
The dining environment might have been a bit pathetic, but the delicious food and the company made him feel incredibly happy.
Dessert, naturally, was the honey cake Kai had brought back.
Even though he had bought it specifically for Hestia, under her affectionate spoon-feeding, three-quarters of it ended up in his own stomach.
Fully satisfied, the two of them slumped onto the sofa together like a pair of lazy salted fish.
Kai felt their current position was a bit improper, but he couldn’t break free from Hestia’s tight embrace.
“Lady Hestia, I’m truly grateful to this world, because it allowed me to meet you.” “Hmph, sweet talk won’t work on me~” Looking at her flushed cheeks, it was obvious she didn’t mean a word she just said.
Mortals couldn’t lie to gods, but sometimes, gods told little white lies to mortals.
Hestia hugged Kai’s arm just a little tighter.
For her, having Kai appear by her side when she needed him most was a blessing from the world itself.