The walk back to "The Hearth's Embrace" was quiet. Bell followed me like a lost puppy, but I could see the change in his posture. He wasn't slouching anymore. He had a Goddess. He had a purpose.
When we entered the tavern, Elara looked up from the bar. She saw the boy, saw the way I was leading him, and her eyes softened. She knew.
"Elara, clear the back room," I commanded. "And get the boy a bowl of the heavy stew. He looks like he hasn't eaten a real meal since he arrived in Orario."
"Right away, Hestia," she said, already moving toward the kitchen.
After Bell had finished two bowls of stew—eating with a desperation that confirmed my suspicions about his finances—I led him to my private quarters above the tavern. It was simple: a bed, a desk, and a large fireplace.
"Strip your shirt and lie face down on the bed, Bell," I said.
He turned bright red. "W-what?! My Lady, I—"
"It's for the Falna, kid. Relax," I said, my soldier's bluntness cutting through his teenage panic. "I can't give you my blessing through your clothes. I need to write the sacred text on your back."
He nodded, trembling slightly, and complied. As he lay there, I sat on the edge of the bed. I bit my finger, drawing a single drop of Ichor—the golden blood of the gods.
As the drop touched his skin, I felt the connection intensify. Being a Goddess was like having a high-speed data link to a person's entire potential. I could see his stats—all zeros. He was a blank slate.
Strength: I-0
Endurance: I-0
Dexterity: I-0
Agility: I-0
Magic: I-0
But then, I saw it. Deep in his soul, a skill was trying to manifest. It was a reaction to his desire, his "longing." In the original story, this was Liaris Freese, the skill that allowed him to grow as long as his feelings remained strong.
But I was different from the original Hestia. I was a soldier. I was a tactician. My divinity was filtered through a mind that understood war.
As I moved my finger across his back, the golden ink flowing from my touch, I didn't just give him the standard blessing. I focused on the "Hearth" aspect of my power—the idea of the "Unbreakable Home."
New Skill Manifesting...
I watched as the text shifted. Liaris Freese was there, but it was being shaped by my own intent.
[Skill: Bastion of the Hearth]
Effect: Increases growth speed based on the strength of the bond with the Goddess. Provides a defensive bonus when fighting to protect the 'Home' or 'Familia'.
I finished the final stroke and blew on the ink to dry it. Bell let out a long, shaky breath. He looked like he had just run a marathon.
"It's done," I said. "You are now the first member of the Hestia Familia."
I handed him a sheet of paper with his stats translated into the common tongue. He stared at it, his eyes wide. "I... I have power now? I can go into the Dungeon?"
"You have the potential for power," I corrected him, standing up and crossing my arms. "The Falna is just a tool. It's like a rifle. It doesn't matter how good the gun is if the soldier behind it is shaking. Tomorrow, we start your training."
"Training? Not the Dungeon?"
I stepped close to him, my blue eyes pinning him in place. "Bell, the Dungeon is a meat grinder. I'm not sending my only follower in there to die because he doesn't know how to hold a knife. You want to be a hero? Heroes aren't born in stories. They are forged in the mud."
I sat him down and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Here is the Commander's Code for this Familia. Rule one: We don't fight for glory. We fight so we can all come back to the hearth at night. Rule two: You never enter the Dungeon without a backup plan. Rule three: You are the heart of this family, and you will carry yourself with the dignity of a Goddess's champion."
Bell nodded, his expression turning serious. He wasn't looking at me like a boy looking at a girl anymore. He was looking at me like a soldier looking at his General.
"I understand, Goddess," he said firmly.
"Good. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, four o'clock. You and I are going to find out exactly what you're made of."
As he left the room, I turned to the window. The city of Orario glittered below, a sea of lights built on top of a mountain of monsters.
I was no longer just a man who had died in a war. I was a Goddess who was starting one. I didn't just have a follower; I had a foundation.
"Watch out, Orario," I whispered to the dark tower of Babel. "The Hearth is lit. And this time, it's never going out."
If there's any mistake in the writing, you can point it out and I'm gonna fix it right away and if there is then I will write your username in the bottom of the chapter if you want