Chương 18: "Chapter 18: Lily 2.0 and Moving to Hephaestus"
That same evening...
After the two goddesses left his house, Alex sat down on the couch and sighed heavily, realizing that he had managed to avoid explaining his actions of the day. He decided to tell Lily a story to avoid questions about his "crusade" against the adventurers. As Alex sat on the couch, he didn't notice that someone was watching him like a hawk, not forgetting for a second about his actions today. No matter how much Alex tried to use his sixth rule, it wouldn't help him, because he would still have to answer his goddess's questions. Looking up, Alex met Hestia's eyes, which were staring at him so intently that it seemed like she was ready to bore a hole through him.
"Since we're alone, tell me what you did today, and don't even think about dodging the question. I already heard what you did on the way home," Hestia said in a quiet voice.
"I didn't do anything special, just had a little fun and played some pranks on the adventurers," Alex replied, spreading his hands.
"Speak more quietly, Lily's asleep," Hestia said quietly again, making it clear that there was no need to make noise. Alex noticed that Lily was already asleep in Hestia's arms and sighed, realizing that it had been an exhausting day for her.
"Alright, just wait a moment. I'll lay her down on the bed, and then we can talk," Alex said, getting up and approaching Hestia to gently take Lily from her embrace and carry her to the couch.
"Okay, what do you want to know, Hestia?" Alex asked, returning after laying Lily down on the bed.
"I want to know everything you did today, without any lies," Hestia said, sitting down next to Alex. She was curious to hear firsthand what he had been up to; rumors were one thing, but hearing it directly from him was another.
"Basically, everything you've heard is true, except for the moment when I met Lily in the dungeon. She was abandoned by her group and on the verge of death, and I saved her. Then I helped her vent her anger on that group," Alex calmly began to explain, recounting how he had assisted Lily. Hearing this, Hestia looked again at the sleeping Lily and couldn't help but think about how much this child had suffered.
"So, what do you plan to do with her now? She's still a member of Soma's family, and you can't just take her and not return her. Until Soma himself releases her, she's still part of his family. We can't break the rules set by the gods," Hestia said with a serious tone, indicating the complexity of the situation.
"Hestia, rules are made by the strong to control the weak. Until you become strong, you have to abide by the rules. If you're already strong, then you create the rules that others must follow," Alex explained.
"So how do you plan to solve Lily's problem? She's still a member of Soma's family, and we can't afford to start another war," Hestia asked again.
"It's simple. We don't need to start a war to free Lily. And we don't need to go to Soma for him to release her. I can remove 'Falna' from her body myself," Alex replied, indicating that he had a way to solve Lily's problem.
"And how do you intend to do that?" Hestia asked skeptically, apparently forgetting that Alex had managed to heal her best friend before.
"Hestia, have you forgotten how I healed Hephaestus's eye when other gods couldn't? Removing the 'Falna' is much easier than you think. Essentially, this blessing is a contract between a god and a member of their family. All we need to do is dissolve the contract, and Lily will be free, and we'll gain a new family member," Alex reminded, tapping his finger against Hestia's forehead, explaining how he would solve Lily's problem.
"Alright, alright, you're all-powerful and everything," Hestia said, not letting Alex continue tapping her forehead.
"Okay, Hestia, it's time for us to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll need to help Lily and move in with Hephaestus. So, go wash up and get to bed," Alex said, getting up from the couch and heading to the bathroom. Hestia sighed wearily and followed him.
Meanwhile...
The two goddesses, having left the abandoned church, walked home in silence until one of them remembered why she had come to Hestia's house in the first place.
"Oh damn, I completely forgot to grill Alex about what he did in the dungeon! He managed to distract me with his words. I'm the goddess of lies and deceit, how could this guy deceive me?" Loki began shouting, wanting to turn back.
"Alright, calm down, Loki. You'll have time to talk to him later, no need to start a tantrum," Hephaestus sighed, understanding she still had this restless goddess on her hands.
"No, I want to know it now! I want to hear it right now! I need this! There hasn't been anything this fun in Orario for a long time. And better yet, next time he should take me with him!" Loki continued shouting, stomping in place and grabbing her head like a spoiled child.
"Loki, when your kids go to train with Alex, you can go with them to talk," Hephaestus said, clearly forgetting that Alex and Hestia would soon move in with her. She might regret this decision, or maybe not, as her empty house was occupied only by herself and her child. Their presence could make her home more lively.
"Exactly, Hephaestus, you're right! Why didn't I think of that right away? Thanks, Hephaestus!" Loki said, running towards her estate. Hephaestus took a deep breath and calmly walked home, enjoying the night walk through Orario.
"Kids, I'm home! I have good news for you!" Loki shouted as she ran into her house, attracting the attention of its residents.
"What good news, Lady Loki?" "Yes, Lady Loki, tell us."
"Quiet down, let me speak! I've arranged with Alex for him to help you increase your strength. See what a great job I'm doing? Now praise me," Loki said proudly, clearly forgetting that it was Alex who proposed it. Everyone looked at Loki with suspicion, clearly not believing her, but still happy about the news.
The next morning...
Waking up early as usual, Alex noticed Hestia drooling over him again. A sigh escaped his lungs; no matter how hard he tried, Hestia always managed to crawl into his bed and continue drooling on him. Alex didn't want to wake Hestia just yet, knowing today would be a long day. Turning his head towards the bed where Lily slept, he saw her with a peaceful smile, evidently feeling safe in this house. After lying there for a while longer, Alex decided to awaken this sleepy kingdom because there was much to do today.
"Hestia, wake up," Alex said, trying to rouse the drooling Hestia. Lily heard Alex's voice waking Hestia and immediately sat up, looking around. Spotting Alex looking at her at that moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she hadn't woken up in Soma Family's house.
"Good morning, Lily. Did you sleep well?" Alex asked, still trying to wake Hestia.
"Yes, I slept very well, even better compared to the past few years of my life," Lily said, getting out of bed.
"I'm glad you got some good sleep. Now go to the bathroom; there's an unused bath set there. You can use it, and we'll talk afterwards," Alex said, getting up and carrying Hestia into the bathroom. This lazy goddess never woke up unless she was taken to the bathroom.
"What are we going to talk about?" Lily nervously asked, having overheard snippets of Alex and Hestia's conversation yesterday, clearly afraid they might send her back.
"Don't worry. We'll talk about how to help you get rid of the Soma Family's mark and become free again, as well as how to make you stronger," Alex said, seeing Lily starting to get nervous.
Upon hearing his words, Lily nodded and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
Shortly after...
Sitting down at the dining table, Alex decided to share his plan with Lily on how to help her.
"Lily, what I'm about to say stays in this room. If anyone asks, just say you've never been a member of the Soma Family. Soma himself probably won't even remember you," Alex said. Seeing Lily nod, he glanced at Hestia, signaling the importance of keeping this quiet. Catching his gaze, Hestia also nodded, understanding the need for secrecy.
"Lily, I will help you remove the Soma Family's mark and cleanse your body so you can grow stronger," Alex continued. Seeing Lily nod again, he proceeded to explain further.
"Firstly, I'll cleanse your body of all the impurities that have accumulated throughout your life. Growing up in unfavorable conditions meant your body didn't receive enough nutrients needed for growth. So, I'll flush out all the toxins from your body to strengthen it. This way, you'll be able to become a proper adventurer or whatever else you wish," Alex concluded.
Upon hearing his words, Lily's eyes widened in surprise. Subconsciously, she believed that Alex could do this.
"Alright, now that we've discussed it, follow me to the bathroom and remove your outer clothing so it doesn't get dirty when the impurities leave your body," Alex said, getting up and heading towards the bathroom. Lily followed him. Hestia, intrigued by what was happening, also followed them to avoid sitting alone at the table.
(Author's note: This is all nonsense I made up. In reality, I don't know why Lily can't absorb Falna properly and level up. I've seen many fanfics trying different ways to help Lily become stronger, and I came to the simplest conclusion: her body wasn't strong enough due to poor conditions to properly conduct Falna. So, I thought a body cleansing method would fit well in this situation. You may have your own theories about it, but this is what I decided to go with.)
After cleansing Lily's body of toxins, Alex noticed a change in her appearance. She had grown slightly taller, her height increasing from 110 to 125 centimeters. It was amazing how simply cleansing her body and providing it with essential nutrients had such an effect. Now, she was a bit taller than the average hobbit. Although Lily was only 15 years old, she could still grow to 130 centimeters or even taller.
"How do you feel after the body cleanse?" Alex asked, examining Lily from all sides.
"I feel lighter and moving is easier," Lily replied, testing her movements by waving her arms and legs.
"Besides feeling better, have you noticed you've grown taller?" Alex said with a smile. Hearing his words, Lily looked at herself and noticed the change, which brought a joyful smile to her face.
"Now, lie down on the bed. I'll erase your mark," Alex said, showing Lily the way to the bed. Hearing his words, Lily approached the bed and lay down.
"Alright, now I'll erase your mark, and if you want, you can immediately join Hestia's family," Alex said, using magic to remove the mark. Lily pondered and agreed to become part of Hestia's family.
Hestia, hearing this, was delighted to have another family member. But then she frowned because she wanted Alex and Lily to spend some time alone and enjoy each other's company. However, upon reflection, she realized there would still be opportunities to spend time together. After Hestia applied her mark on Lily's back, another question arose: if they were moving, where would they put her new soft sofa? While she pondered, Lily got up from the couch and finally felt free, having found a new family where no one would harm her anymore.
"Alright, we need to get ready. The construction crew will be here soon, so we need to clean everything up to greet them, and then head to Hephaestus's place," Alex said.
"But Alex, what about my new super soft bed?" Hestia asked, her eyes welling with tears.
"Just use the bag I gave you and put the bed inside," Alex replied. Hestia didn't understand how she could fit a big bed into a small bag.
"I'll show you how to do it. And then don't forget to pack all your things in there," Alex said, taking Hestia's bag and guiding it towards the bed. Hestia watched as her bed disappeared when Alex directed the bag towards it, nearly jumping in shock.
"That's how it's done. Now hurry up and pack your things, the workers could arrive any minute," Alex said, handing the bag to Hestia, whose eyes sparkled. She quickly ran to gather her things and stuff them into the bag. With everything packed, the group waited for the workers to arrive.
To be continued...
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
GreedHunter
GreedHunter Here's another chapter from the everyday life of Alex as we approach the moment when Alex sweeps the floor with the Apollo family. Enjoy reading! Muah ^^
(I wanna dancing, dancing
Rolling, rolling, only one my life
Eventually, life will come to an end
Emptiness alone won't be enough
Dancing, dancing
Rolling, rolling, eternity
More than the usual fantasy
Let's dance in the present
Every night, every time
Let's live until we're tired of playing)
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