Hephaestus! You Know I...

Chapter 7 - Hephaestus! You Know I...

"This is my chance!"

With sparkling eyes, Hestia was about to jump in and pull the conversation towards herself.

However, considering this was Hephaestus' shop and the child had come to Hephaestus for an introduction, she held back and observed carefully from the side.

"I can't even see the child's face."

Hestia, who was only 140 cm tall, couldn't fully see the face hidden under the hood, which made her even more curious.

Knowing that this child could be her first family member, she was eager to see his appearance, as it held great significance.

Hephaestus noticed Hestia's movements and sighed slightly, hoping that Hestia would be a good choice for this child.

"If you're looking for a god who hasn't established a familia yet, then I can only recommend this waste of a goddess."

"Ah! Hephaestus, that's too much! I'm not a waste goddess. It's just that I just came down from heaven and still don't know the rules of the lower world, and I don't know how to form a familia."

"I'm definitely not a waste goddess; I'm a famous goddess of the hearth!"

Although she felt somewhat useless, Hestia didn't want to appear embarrassed in front of her future children and tried to present herself as an impressive goddess.

Little did she know, her image had already been firmly fixed in Bell's heart.

"With your current look, what can I say?"

The person who knew Hestia best was not Hestia herself, but her friends and rivals.

Friends paid special attention to Hestia out of concern, and rivals paid attention to her to find opportunities to tease her.

Hephaestus was clearly acting as a friend.

Although Hephaestus wanted to highlight Hestia's advantages, she couldn't lie to a child who had just come to Orario.

Deceiving someone new to the city was not something a god should do.

"She's my recommendation —Hestia. She has been staying with me for a while. Although she's a total idiot, she's still someone who cares about her family members."

As expected, Bell wasn't surprised by this outcome. Hestia's temperament was known.

She wasn't a cruel goddess and cared deeply for her familia. Although her personality made her an easy target for bullying, it also made her more endearing and protective of her familia.

In short, she had a good character.

After a moment of silence, Bell turned to Hestia.

"Goddess Hestia, I'm just an ordinary person from the countryside who became an adventurer in search of strength."

"Can you accept someone as ordinary as me?"

"Of course!"

Hestia straightened her chest without hesitation. She was never picky about the children in the lower world and always believed that as long as someone was willing to join her familia, they were good children.

Accepting a good child was exactly what a goddess needed to do.

Hestia was also worried that if she missed this chance, she might not find another in Orario.

Especially after hearing Hephaestus reprimand her, she believed her actions had made her infamous in Orario, so she had to seize the opportunity to recruit this child no matter what.

"No matter what kind of child, as long as they join my familia, they are my most precious family members."

Bell believed her words completely, even if it was just a casual remark from Hestia.

Now that he had decided, it was not appropriate to continue covering his face with a hood.

Bell reached out and pulled the hood off his head, then bowed slightly to Hestia.

"Goddess Hestia, please let me join your familia."

"Oh!"

Only after Bell removed the hood did Hestia really see Bell's appearance. A pair of calm red eyes were hidden under his fluffy white hair.

His expression was not particularly rich, but it conveyed a sense of calmness.

All gods liked handsome boys and pretty girls.

After all, having unattractive individuals often around could cause bad moods. For Hestia, the child in front of her fit her aesthetic perfectly.

Of course, the most important thing was that she had successfully recruited her first familia member.

"Of course."

At this moment, Hestia finally experienced the joy that only a goddess starting her familia could feel.

More importantly, her first familia member also matched her preferences, making the experience even more delightful.

"Then, without further ado, let's perform the ceremony of granting 'Falna' immediately."

"In my shop?"

Hephaestus raised her brows.

Did this idiot really know nothing?

The ceremony of granting 'Falna' was best performed in one's own territory. After all, the personal information of the familia members needed to be kept confidential.

If other gods saw certain parameters, it could cause unnecessary trouble.

"Please, Hephaestus! You know I... don't have my own place."

Putting her hands together, Hestia knew that the ceremony of granting 'Falna' was best performed in her own territory.

But she had been living off Hephaestus for so long, how could she afford her own place?

A suitable territory was not something that ten or twenty million valis could easily handle.

Given her financial resources were equal to zero, Hestia could only ask Hephaestus for help. At least for her first child's 'Falna' ceremony, she needed to perform it here.

"Ha... only once. If you dare bring your children to me for a status update next time, don't blame me for kicking you out."

"Thanks!"

"In exchange, let me see the child's first status."

"No problem!"

Such an approach was generally not allowed, as it involved revealing the familia data to other gods.

But most initial status of ordinary familia members happens to be zero, so even if seen, it wouldn't have much impact.

Hephaestus understood that this was also a way to remind Hestia and give her a helping hand.

As Hestia's friend, Hephaestus knew that without teaching this idiot a lesson, she would be taken advantage of.

But after learning her lesson, Hestia would remember it for the future.

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[A/N: Thank you for supporting this novel. Given its current popularity, I've decided to upload two side stories about Bell's future, which won't include spoilers. If you'd like to contribute or read advance chapters, you can head to Patreon. No matter what happens, I won't drop this novel. If some people don't like it, that's their choice. However, I have many supporters who want to read this novel, so I won't drop it under any circumstances.]