The Labyrinth City — Orario.
The noise of the day faded. The street was now deserted.
The night air carried a coolness that seeped into the skin. On the dried-out pond outside the slums, fireflies chased each other, glowing in the dark.
The stone pavement was wide and damp, with soft green moss growing between every gap.
"Goddess! Wait! Please wait!"
Hearing the shout from behind, Hestia paused slightly and looked around. There didn't seem to be any of her fellow gods nearby who usually teased her about her height. So… someone was calling out to her?
That was rare… Though she was a god and far superior to mortals, Hestia wasn't all that famous among the gods. Even in the epics, the descriptions about her weren't exactly flattering.
The poor goddess, the virgin goddess, the loli goddess...
So, hearing someone call her "Goddess" with such respectful tone actually made Hestia smile.
And she made up her mind.
She'd been going around these past few days looking for someone willing to join her Familia. Unfortunately, no adventurers took her seriously—she was just a no-name poverty goddess to them. But… if this kid didn't have a Familia yet, then she'd invite him to be her first familia member.
Thinking that, Hestia's smile grew wider. Her eyes curved into little crescents of joy. She turned around, the soles of her sandals tapping crisply on the stone pavement.
She turned and placed her hands behind her back, looking expectantly at the person who had just called out to her.
…
Not good!
Not good not good not good not good!
Takashina Kai stood frozen in place, his face stiff with a frozen smile, his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears.
His cheeks… were heating up?
Yeah, based on past experience, he was probably blushing down to his ears by now.
Come on, man. Have some dignity! Show some backbone!
Though he'd seen this virgin loli goddess countless times in anime, even seen H-doujins where she was the main heroine, nothing could've prepared him for the real thing. That feeling, like his heart was being clenched and his whole body electrified, was so intense it caught him off guard.
Her looks and body were pretty much the same as in the anime. If anything, she was just more vivid and lifelike.
But it wasn't her face that made Kai lose it.
Sure, Hestia's appearance was flawless, combining childlike charm with mature curves, but even that paled next to the aura she radiated.
How could he describe it?
Noble, sacred, untouchable—like a divine treasure. Pure and clear, making one instinctively want to worship… This must be what they call divine presence.
And when that divine presence combined with her cute looks and radiant smile...
Takashina Kai could say with certainty: in his twenty-three years of life, he'd never been so utterly smitten.
Are all gods this unreasonable?
Just seeing them in person could leave you lost in their overwhelming divine aura!
Suddenly, he had a new respect for the people of Orario. They interacted with beings like this and still kept their sanity. That took some serious mental fortitude.
"…G- Goddess…"
Despite the overwhelming pressure in his chest, Kai's mind remained clear. He fought hard not to let himself do anything impulsive. Looking into Hestia's eyes, he carefully watched her expression.
If gods could sense that he was a "stowaway" from another world, Hestia would definitely react. If he saw even the slightest sign of suspicion in her eyes, he would leave Orario that very night.
To his relief, Hestia didn't seem suspicious. Her gaze was full of expectation, which made Kai a little flustered.
That look… what did it mean?
Should he say something?
Or maybe do something?
As he stood awkwardly under her gaze, trying to figure it out, Hestia suddenly spoke.
"My name is Hestia. What's yours?"
As she asked, she bounced toward him on light feet, hands behind her back, and blinked with a bright, cheerful smile. She stopped right in front of him, waiting for an answer.
"…?"
What was with this attitude? This unexplained friendliness… Since when was he this popular?
Or… could it be that the Black Swordsman class also came with the Harem King perk?
As her sweet fragrance filled his nose, Kai looked into her pale blue eyes, then his gaze involuntarily drifted downward… past her youthful cheeks, moist lips, the light blue ribbon at her collar, the delicate collarbones…
"Goddess, I… I'm…"
Though stunned by this loli goddess's sheer… force, Kai still managed to croak out, "My name is Takashina Kai."
As he spoke, he took two steps back.
He wasn't sure if Hestia had done it on purpose, but whether she was trying to get close or not, Kai wanted some distance. Otherwise, he might just fall again into the intoxicating trap of her divine presence.
"Takashina Kai? That's a weird name—pretty rare. Are you from outside Orario?"
"Yes, Goddess."
Seeing that she wasn't pressing closer, Kai let out a faint nostalgic sigh and said slowly, "I come from a country far to the east…"
Yep, classic vague answer from xianxia novels. If you asked him where he came from, the answer was always: the East!
If not that, he'd pretend to have amnesia—but Kai didn't feel like playing the innocent type, so he just kept things vague.
"The East, huh?"
Hestia nodded thoughtfully, then smiled brightly again. Her eyes sparkled, and her expression turned a little sly—like a fox ready to pounce on a chicken.
Hey, you goddess lady… could you stop looking at me like that? I'll scream, seriously!
Feeling uneasy under her gaze, Kai was about to make an excuse to leave, when her voice rang out again.
"Then, Takashina Kai… will you join the Hestia Familia and become my family?"
"…Huh?"
Kai was stunned by the completely unexpected invitation. He'd just been worrying about how to join a Familia and get a god's blessing. Now, after barely a minute of talking, this virgin loli goddess was already inviting him?
This had to be a dream.
"Takashina Kai, would you like to join the Hestia Familia and become my family starting today?"
Seeing that he hadn't responded, Hestia repeated her question, thinking maybe he hadn't heard clearly.
Okay… not a dream.
Hearing her words so clearly, Kai's feelings were all over the place.
So… my popular phase, 23 years late, has finally arrived?
What do I do? Kinda wanna cry right now…
Though his heart was practically dancing, he kept his face cool and aloof.
This is what they call "aura," right?
Very pleased with his composure, Kai nodded calmly and gave a soft "Mm," accepting her offer.
And Hestia? She immediately jumped with joy, hopping around like a child, cheering loudly.
"Yay! Yay! Kai-kun said yes!"
Watching her bounce with delight, Kai's lips curved into a cocky smile. In his mind, he was already seeing his future multiverse-scale harem palace.
"Yay! Finally someone joined my Familia! Now those other gods won't laugh at me anymore! Yay, yay, yay!"
Just as Kai was getting lost in fantasy, Hestia's words snapped him out of it.
"…Wait, Goddess, what do you mean 'finally someone joined'? What about Bell?"
"Bell? Who's Bell?"
Hearing the question, Hestia tilted her head. "Kai-kun, you're the first member of the Hestia Familia. Who's this Bell person? Your friend?"
"No, nothing… Please forget I said anything."
Kai's soaring spirits crashed into a wall. His body slumped like a deflated balloon.
Bell Cranel hadn't met Hestia yet. Which meant Kai had simply met her before Bell did.
Now it all made sense.
No wonder Hestia had been so enthusiastic—he was just enjoying the treatment Bell would've gotten.
Probably anyone who showed interest would've been welcomed like this.
So this so-called "popular phase"… ha…
Why did he suddenly feel so… empty?
Everything had gone so smoothly. His identity was safe. He'd successfully joined the Familia. He even earned Hestia's favor. But why… did his heart ache just a little?
"Kai-kun, are you alright?"
Having calmed down a bit, Hestia noticed the lonely look on Kai's face.
She didn't know what had happened, but in that moment, something inside her awakened—a maternal instinct. She walked over, stood on her tiptoes, and gently patted his head.
As she patted, she whispered softly, "There, there. It's okay. I'll take you home."
"…"
Looking down at her kind, motherly smile, Kai suddenly had no impure thoughts at all.
So this is what motherly love feels like…?
Bullshit!
I've got something to say and I swear I'm gonna say it out loud, damn it!!!