章 45: A Date With Hestia
Chapter 45 - A Date With Hestia
"Bro, look at that pouch."
"?!"
The adventurer instinctively glanced in the direction his fellow adventurer was pointing and suddenly widened his eyes in shock. Without thinking, he delivered a hard slap.
"Smack!"
The other adventurer was almost knocked off balance by the force of the slap.
"What was that for?"
Before he could react, the adventurer grabbed him by the collar, his voice growing more menacing.
"You idiot, you were thinking of stealing from a goddess!"
The stunned adventurer finally realized why he had been slapped, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He had almost tried to rob a goddess!
For the adventurers of Orario, attacking a god was the most reckless and dangerous thing one could do.
Everyone knew that adventurers who had dared to attack gods in the past had met terrible fates.
And now, his companion had set his sights on the pouch held by a goddess?
Wasn't this suicide?
The adventurer's voice dropped to a low and terrifying tone as he warned his friend.
"Listen carefully, you fool."
"Never covet what belongs to a god, and don't even think about stealing from them. Plenty of fools have had that thought, and trust me, you don't want to know what happened to them."
The other adventurer began shaking even more after hearing the warning.
"B-Bro, I swear, I didn't mean to—"
"Don't even let that thought cross your mind."
The adventurer grunted and, after giving his companion a proper scolding, wiped the cold sweat from his own forehead.
Attempting to steal from a goddess? That was truly asking for trouble.
As an adventurer, he had always held a deep respect for the gods.
The ones who had given them the blessings to grow stronger could just as easily take everything away. Thinking of the gods as harmless was a fool's notion.
The gods had descended to the lower world for amusement, but that didn't mean they would laugh off serious trouble. Thinking otherwise was naive.
Gods, after all, were beings far stronger than humans.
---
"Oh! Bell, the grilled octopus here is delicious!"
"Yeah, it's really good."
On Hestia's recommendation, Bell tried the grilled octopus from a nearby food stall.
With just one bite, the taste of the sauce filled his mouth. Not only were the portions generous, but the flavor was fantastic.
"Of course. Takemikazuchi may always look silly, but his cooking skills are excellent."
"Takemikazuchi?"
Bell almost choked.
He carefully looked at the chef grilling the food.
The man wore white overalls and had a rather unusual hairstyle, reminiscent of someone from Japan.
Wait, this guy is a god!
Although Bell knew that Takemikazuchi and Hestia were friends, encountering him like this was beyond his expectations.
"Hestia, I think calling him silly might be a bit much."
The so-called silly god, Takemikazuchi, remained silent, hoping that Hestia would avoid describing him in such a manner.
Bell found himself studying this god of war from the Far East, who was also known as the god of thunder, swords, archery, and martial arts.
In terms of martial prowess, Takemikazuchi was truly a powerful god.
For Bell, the fact that Takemikazuchi wasn't funny wasn't surprising at all.
As a god of martial arts, it was his fighting skill that stood out, not his ability to make jokes.
Thinking of it that way, Bell found that Takemikazuchi's serious demeanor was much more fitting.
After all, it was hard to imagine a serious god like him giggling all the time.
Takemikazuchi's keen senses picked up something more from Bell, something far beyond.
As a fellow martial artist, he could sense the extraordinary aura surrounding Bell.
This realization made Takemikazuchi appreciate Bell even more.
The presence of strong martial strength in someone so young piqued his interest.
"Are you Hestia's child?"
Takemikazuchi eyed Bell with curiosity. Lately, Hestia had been showing off her Familia every chance she got.
"Lightning?"
"Magic... yes. But why does it feel like Arcanum?"
Takemikazuchi was especially sensitive to lightning, as part of his own power was linked to it.
However, he quickly dismissed the thought of Arcanum.
Mortals couldn't wield Arcanum, after all.
"It seems Hestia wasn't exaggerating."
He could tell that Bell could use extremely powerful magic, coupled with his strong martial aura.
Mages were rare in Orario, and a Level 1 adventurer with both magic and fighting skills was even rarer.
For Hestia to have such a child in her Familia, it was no wonder she kept showing off.
"Hello, Takemikazuchi-sama."
Bell greeted the god politely, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Hestia.
"Hmm, a polite kid."
"Of course!" Hestia said proudly, crossing her arms. Bell couldn't help but stifle a laugh at her reaction.
It felt like Hestia had purposely brought him out to show him off.
Takemikazuchi watched Hestia with amusement but didn't call her out on it.
Otherwise, he'd have pointed out her obvious intent to flaunt Bell.
Still, Takemikazuchi acknowledged that Bell was impressive.
When he first started looking for a child, he had hoped for one with good talent, and now Hestia had truly made a strong start in Orario.
"Did you come out today just to visit my stall?"
Bell felt a bit guilty. He doubted Hestia had planned on coming here just for that.
In reality, Bell had suggested the outing. Hestia probably decided to show him off to the other gods on a whim.
"Hehe~ Of course not."
"...I thought so."
Hestia smiled as she gave her answer, but Takemikazuchi wasn't surprised.
"Of course I'm not here to show off," Hestia said with a mischievous grin, causing Takemikazuchi to raise an eyebrow.
But before he could respond, Hestia hugged Bell's arm and declared,
"I'm out on a date with Bell today."
"A date...?"
Takemikazuchi was momentarily stunned as he looked at the cheerful Hestia.
He was tempted to ask, 'Do you really know what that means?'
Relationships between gods and mortals often ended in tragedy. Takemikazuchi wanted to remind Hestia, but when the words reached his mouth, he couldn't say them.
He knew that back in heaven, Hestia had often talked with goddesses who had returned there.
Maybe her current actions were influenced by those conversations.
Many male gods had proposed to Hestia, but she never took them seriously, earning her the title of virgin goddess.
Of course, the title was more of a jest among the gods than a true insult.
After all, she wasn't the only one with that nickname—Athena and Artemis also had it due to their lack of interest in male gods.
But now, Hestia had descended and found someone she liked.
Takemikazuchi shook his head slightly, unsure of what to say. He turned the skewers in his hands faster, then handed the food to Bell.
"This one's on me."
"Hestia can be a bit of an idiot. There are some things I can't say, but do your best to protect her."
Bell took the grilled octopus skewer and saw the concern in Takemikazuchi's eyes.
He understood what he meant.
Bell didn't shy away and felt even more determined.
"I will protect her with everything I have."
Takemikazuchi looked into the young adventurer's eyes and understood why Hestia had become attached to him.
'Indeed, he's an extraordinary young man,' he thought.
The road ahead would surely be full of challenges. Love between gods and mortals rarely ended well.
But even so, countless gods still pursued such relationships. Takemikazuchi understood this.
That's why he worried that Hestia might end up like those other goddesses who had forged deep loves. But there was no point in worrying.
"Well, Takemikazuchi, see you tomorrow."
"...Don't come tomorrow, idiot."
Hestia smiled at Takemikazuchi and pulled Bell along as they walked away.
As he watched them leave, Takemikazuchi sighed, feeling a strange fatherly concern that had nowhere to go.
Hestia led Bell down the bustling streets, buying various trinkets and snacks. Since it was their first date, Hestia wanted to take Bell somewhere a bit more formal for a nice meal.
Bell simply followed along. Who knew if Freya or someone related might suddenly appear on the streets of Orario?
So Bell was always cautious when walking through the city and preferred staying within crowds to avoid drawing attention.
He also made sure to avoid dangerous places.
One such place was a tavern called the Hostess of Fertility.
Yet here he was, dragged into what he considered a devil's lair by Hestia.
It wasn't until a waitress with silver-gray hair came over.
"What would you like to order?"
Bell's expression almost froze when he saw her.
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