章 33: Chapter 33
When we reach 150 Power Stones, there will be a bonus chapter!
***
"Y-you! You flat-chested goddess!"
Hestia's scream echoed throughout the pub, and for a second, all conversation stopped. Adventurers and waitresses who didn't know about the rivalry between these two goddesses looked at each other in confusion, while those who did let out nervous giggles or expectant glances. Some even looked excited.
Oi, why is the first thing they do is insult each other about the size of their breasts?
I, for one, felt as if the ground was disappearing beneath my feet.
Loki looked at her with a grin. Her eyes were half open and half closed, like those of a cunning fox. Besides, her followers, Loki Familia, seemed to be used to this kind of exchange. Tione rolled her eyes, while Ais Wallenstein showed no reaction at all, but rather stared at me.
Huh? Is there something on my face?
"Oh, look who's talking! The big-breasted Loli! I didn't know you could still walk with those things dangling in front of you! Don't fall on your face every time you take a step!"
A few giggles erupted from the nearby tables, and I could see Hestia's face turning even redder, but this time not from drinking. She was angry.
"Hestia..." I whispered, trying to calm her. "Come on, come on. Don't worry about what she says and let's go."
Actually, your breasts are quite nice.
But my words fell on deaf ears. Hestia seemed determined not to let Loki have her way. She let go of my arm and began to walk purposefully toward the red-haired goddess' table.
"At least my body has godlike proportions! You, on the other hand, are like a board with legs! Even insects don't look at you twice!"
Loki let out an exaggerated laugh. "Oh, please! Divine proportions?! The only thing divine about you is how pathetic you are! No one takes you seriously, Hestia, not even your own followers! Oh... sorry, sorry. I forgot you don't have any."
That last sentence was a low blow. I saw Hestia's fists clench, and for a moment I thought she was going to lunge at Loki at any moment. Well, she did lunge.
"Who says I'm not taken seriously, huh, I have my Ei-kun!"
"Your Ei-kun?"
Then her narrowed eyes fell on me. I could feel her gaze moving up and down my body as if she was sizing me up. And although she didn't say anything right away, her sly fox-like grin was skewered.
"Hooh~? A novice adventurer you've trapped in your poor little Familia? Well, it looks like the dwarf has finally found someone to put up with her. But tell me, child, are you really satisfied with the Hestia Familia? I can offer you something much better in my Familia. So what do you say, would you like to join us?"
The pub immediately became noisy. The offer from Loki, one of the most influential goddesses, caused a stir among the adventurers. An invitation to one of the most powerful Familias was something no one would pass up. In fact, no one would turn down something so enticing.
Hestia stopped. Her feet stopped moving, and though she tried to maintain her defiant stance, her gaze lowered slightly. Loki's words had hit her where it hurt the most.
I could tell what that foolish goddess was thinking. Despite her constant smile and energy, Hestia always carried the weight of our situation with her. We lived in a small basement, with no luxuries and no great resources. She worried. She worried about not being able to offer me more, about not being like the other Familias with great palaces and armies of adventurers. Though she never said it out loud, that uneasiness was always there, in her heart.
I had already made it clear to her, but this goddess still had that insecurity. Hah~
I smiled. I felt Loki's eyes boring into mine, waiting for a hesitant or uncertain answer.
"Satisfied?" I repeated, looking Loki straight in the eye. "I'm more than satisfied."
Hestia looked at me in surprise. Since even with your power you still doubt my words, let me remind you of something important.
"Since the first day I joined the Hestia Familia, I have had everything I need. It's not about wealth or numbers. It's about being with someone who believes in you, who stands by you no matter what. And in that sense, I have the best Familia anyone could ask for."
Silence fell over the pub. Even Loki seemed to be speechless for a moment. Well, since these were indeed my honest thoughts, the two goddesses present (or three?) could sense my sincerity.
Hestia, still surprised, blushed deeply. Her expression changed from one of insecurity to one of pride, and little stars of joy shone in those big blue eyes.
Umu. This expression is much better.
I wanted to say something else, but before I could...
Hestia's expression suddenly changed. She jumped up like an angry cat and grabbed Loki's cheeks. Yes, by the cheeks.
"A-auch! What the hell, Hestia!"
"You-you! You can't talk about me like that! This is for insulting me and for offering Ei-kun a place in your stupid Familia! Ei-kun is mine and I won't let anyone, not even you, touch him!"
"Let go of me, you little runt! You want cheek war! I'll show you how to have a cheek war!"
And that's how it ended. Two goddesses, in the middle of a pub, stretching each other's cheeks. Loki pulling one way, Hestia pulling the other. The scene was so ridiculous that it almost looked like a fight between small children.
"I'll knead your face like a dumpling, Loki!"
"Ha! Do what you want! But you can't handle these cheeks of mine!"
"Yes! In fact, they're as hard as that part of your chest!"
Witnessing this scene, I, who was in shock, didn't really know whether to intervene or not. I mean... Was their relationship that bad? Or was it actually quite good? On the one hand, they seemed to be mortal enemies, but on the other hand, they seemed to be close friends.
At that moment, a small chuckle escaped from the crowd. Then another. And another. Soon the whole place was roaring with laughter.
I even saw Syr off to the side, laughing behind the bar. She had that look that said, "Is this really happening? I don't know if I should stop them or charge admission."
"This is so much fun, nya~!" Anya jumped up and down, her cat ears twitching excitedly. "Knead, knead, knead, nya~!"
I slapped my face and Riveria did the same. I don't know why, but I felt like she was the only one who understood me in this place.
There was a loud bang. The bar was split in half, and smoke came out of a huge woman's fist.
"That's enough, you two! This is a pub, not a battlefield. If you want to fight, take it outside. I won't let you destroy my place!"
Hey, didn't you just destroy it yourself?
The Hostess of Fertility's owner's words were like a bucket of cold water. Loki and Hestia looked at her for a moment, but then went back to what they were doing.
A dark aura began to fill the room.
A figure slowly rose from the broken bar. Mama Mia was approaching. Although she belonged to the dwarf race, there was nothing small about her. Even the sound of her footsteps rumbled like thunder.
The veins in her forehead throbbed so visibly that they seemed to want to burst from her skin. Her lips were curved in a smile, but that smile trembled in a terrifying way. It was the smile of someone who had reached the limit of her patience.
As she moved forward, the adventurers in her path moved.
Without a word, Mama Mia grabbed both goddesses by the collars of their clothes and picked them up as if they were two kittens. The two Goddesses kicked in the air, and even then they would not stop, trying instead to kick each other as they dangled from Mama Mia's grip.
"Let me go, let me go, this fight isn't over yet!"
"Yeah, let me kick this flat ass right now!"
"Ah... uh... maybe I should intervene..." Seeing that the situation was getting out of control and fearing for Hestia's safety, I took a step forward. But before I could get close enough, I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.
"Stay out of this," Riveria said. "Trust me. You don't want any part of this."
She looked at me with a resigned face, "Don't sacrifice yourself in vain."
In fact, it looked like no one wanted to come between Mama Mia and her pub.
"WHAT DID I SAY!!! ENOUGH!" Mama Mia threw both goddesses at the door.
Loki and Hestia flew like two sacks of potatoes thrown by a titan.
Loki landed awkwardly in front of the door, and before Hestia could roll to the floor, I appeared and caught her. Phew... at least I could predict what Mama Mia would do.
"What the hell was that?!" cried Loki, sitting on the floor in disbelief and rubbing her butt.
Hestia, in my arms, lifted her head and looked up at me with sparkling eyes. Her face flushed before a goofy smile formed on her lips.
"Did you see that, Ei-kun, I taught that damn Loki a lesson! Nobody can take your Hestia-sama!"
Then, as if she couldn't help herself, she turned to Loki with a mocking expression.
"Look, look, Loki! My Ei-kun saved me! What about you? What happened to your Familia? No one helped you, huh? Ha!"
Loki, eyes narrowed and obviously irritated, didn't answer right away. Loki was about to add fuel to the fire, but Riveria appeared and covered her mouth. At the same time, I covered Hestia's mouth with my hand.
Riveria and I looked at each other and both gave the thumbs up.
"Please, enough is enough, Hestia," I sighed, feeling exhausted. Frankly, I just wanted to get home before things got any more chaotic.
I had almost managed to take a step towards the exit when I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder. My lips trembled, who the hell is that now?
I turned around and froze. Mama Mia was looking at me with a broad smile. It wasn't Syr's warm, friendly smile, nor Loki's arrogant one. This smile made my hair stand on end. Her grip was also quite strong. I remembered that in the anime, Mama Mia was far more powerful than one would expect from a pub owner.
"You're forgetting something, kid," she said, raising her palm to me and gesturing for me to give her something. "While I appreciate your bravery, you still need to pay before you leave."
In the midst of all the chaos, I had completely forgotten to pay. I quickly pulled Valis out of my pocket and handed her what I owed. I hoped she wouldn't throw me out the door as well.
Mama Mia took the coins, nodded her head in satisfaction, and returned to the bar as if nothing had happened.
I sighed in relief and, without giving a second thought to a certain Kuudere's stare, walked out with Hestia still on my arm. Outside, the cool night air greeted me and I could finally relax.
"Ei-kun..." Hestia kept calling my name with her voice slurred by alcohol, "Can you carry me to our house? I like it when you hold me..."
She closed her eyes, resting her head on my chest, and her lips lifted in a tender smile. She was so cute at that moment that for a moment the thought of "kiss her" crossed my mind. But I quickly pushed it away, shaking my head.
"Mm...?"
I felt someone following me.
×××
Ais Wallenstein was still sitting in the pub, but her golden eyes remained fixed on the boy who had just passed her.
The way he had refused Loki's offer so confidently, without hesitation, without wavering. Was it common for novice adventurers to show such conviction? No. Most of them would succumb to an offer to join such a powerful and wealthy Familia.
He showed no fear or hesitation. Even when he had been the target of the Loki Familia members' sharp eyes, he had stood his ground. That was something very few could do.
She couldn't deny that the sharp-eyed, sharp-faced boy had stirred her heart from the moment she saw him. Ais' gaze was calm and without obvious emotion, but she tried to process the strange feeling in her chest. She didn't know him, but this feeling... it reminded her of someone else.
'Huh... Did I just forget...'
The already blurred image of that person in her mind disappeared without a trace.
When that strange back disappeared behind the double door, Ais lowered her head for a moment, as if thinking about something. Then she rose from her seat with a quick movement. She hesitated for a few more seconds, but thinking about what had happened, she tightened her grip on the hilt.
The hubbub in the pub continued. Loki Familia, who had witnessed the chaotic scene, returned to order food and drink. Laughter and conversation filled the place again.
Riveria, sitting nearby, noticed Ais' movement. With a slightly quizzical expression, the elf arched an eyebrow and asked quietly, "Ais, where are you going?"
Ais did not answer. Without further ado, she walked towards the exit.
Riveria watched her for a moment, puzzled, but did not insist.
The pub door closed softly behind Ais as the night of Orario greeted her with its usual hustle and bustle.
***
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