Chapter 8

"Wait, so let me get this straight."

"Hm?"

"You're telling me that you're a God, but was not really the 'God' that brought me here and now I'm trapped here in this world with nowhere to go and no possible method to go back?"

"Mhm!"

Just like a fish nabbed out of water, Hestia watched as Roneru's face turned paper white. Devoid of color, his shock was evident to all that glance over him. He looks as if infinite amount of mysteries unsolved was pummeling and humping down his brain each attoseconds that passes by, just like how rabbits produces babies in an outstanding rate. Horror, nay, the look on his eyes was something even the most helpless person can never achieve. He's lost everything other than the problems that constantly bothers his mind, that is for certain to Hestia.

"Well... I'll be damned." The ragged teen breathed a frustrated sigh.

Impressive, the Goddess of Hearth can only stare at the world traveling fellow that is called 'Roneru' as he gripped his hair so tight that it may fall down anytime at the moment. He handles his emotional problems very well, to be able to restraint himself from bursting out of insanity, Hestia thinks that if any other person was to be in his place, they would be in a state of something endlessly worse than his.

Ragged clothes jiggled as he walked, the stature this 'Roneru' was currently in is... Quite questionable, to say atleast. He stinks, very much so; it was as if he has not bathed for the rest of his life, and knowing that he has 'not' taken a bath ever since he was sent to this world did not help at all. He was basically a walking living corpse, a 'sane' zombie like that of some famous novels mortals of high rankings very much loves to read.

Black hair as dark as the night sky, red eyes that shimmers darkly like a valuable ruby, the teen was not of any ordinary person by his own features alone. But even so, something... Feels unnatural within him. Something that she cannot see with her mere normal eyes, but feel it with her Godly nature. It was odd, that was odd. But that is something she knows she may uncover soon. Not now, but soon.

"Say, you're a tough guy, aren't you?" This time, Hestia was the one to spark a conversation. "To be able to keep yourself sane at times like this, it's incredible."

Roneru looked at her, his gaze seeming to widen up as his eyebrows squinted together. "Sane? Are you out of your mind?! If I can, I would've punched a hole in the ground!"

Oof, did that managed to irk him up? A sweat fell over Hestia's temples. This was the first time she's heard the guy scream at her other than ask questions of verification that he was constantly giving her. With nothing to respond, she just chuckled nervously; sure, it seems that she had misunderstood his gestures to a more 'sane' manner, but it could've been worse than that. The worse case scenario is that he would scream at the top of his lungs and—

"Fuck you, you damn asshole of a God!!! Why you sending me here for no goddamn reason at all, you CUNT!!!"

Aaaand, there goes that.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop it, there are Gods around us that may hear you. So, let's keep it silent, alright?" Hestia pleaded with her hands clasped together, begging the idiotic teen to stop this foolish act once and for all. She really doesn't want other Gods finding this little incident with her, for she fears that they may think of the different understanding to what is currently being done.

"Stop, you say. Screw that!" In response, Roneru, glared at Hestia with anger in his eyes. "I'll be screaming here until that little irresponsible fuck appears here and send me back to my wo—mmphh!!"

As he was about to continue and eventually finish his words, Hestia quickly slapped her palm to shut Roneru's mouth, covering and silencing his ability to speak in nothing but muffled scream. Her grip, in this ordeal, packs quite the strength despite her frail looking stature, her restraining action alone was enough to put halt to the crazed other-worldy teen no matter how much he struggles to move.

The streets were bustling with countless adventurers in different kinds, the current time being the usual and casual time for many of them to go back to resurface again from their ventures on the scary and dangerous dungeon. As such, many eyes were caught to their fight. Many jewels of different colours all around shot sharply at the bizarre scene that is the effortlessly restraining actions of a small goddess to the wildy struggling teen, being as if they were watchers that betting to whom chicken would win in a fight.

Well, that's just not good.

"Hey, calm down, calm down!.." Yelled Hestia in a deafening whisper as she leaned over to Roneru's ears. "Can you stop this? You're attracting us so much attention!..."

"Mmmhpph!!" The teen continue to struggle, his arms flailing like sticks all around as he tried to counter Hestia's restraining grip with his own."Mmmphhngg—mmkk!!"

Yet only doing so seems to worsen his case more than how it will do him good as without any words given, Hestia's little Godly fist came crashing down on Roneru's pitiful head. Hard, that is how he would describe this almighty fist that his Hestia's, it struck him harder than a brick falling from the sky, leaving him painfully clutching his head in what seems to be a lot of muffled curses. Unyielding, however, Roneru tried to rebut; he swung his fist, only to be intercepted by another small open palm.

"Mmmkkk!!"

At this point, the crowd had lost interest at the sight as they went to go on their business. New bypassers, however, might lay some tint of gazes here and there, yet just like those before them, they lost interest the moment the layed their eyes on the pair. Thus, they just went to continue their walk, to attend whatever endeavor they initially have for them to leave their homes.

As such, the battle between God and Human carried on.

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______________________

[Tower of Babel.]

"I see." Hephaestus' eyes glowed red. "So you are this 'other-worldy being' Hestia was talking about, am I not wrong?"

A nod, was the only response the teen in ragged clothes was able to do; thus, confirming the Goddess of Smith's assumption. To say the least, she herself cannot believe that one such as him was someone of the extraordinary. He just looks... So normal. He doesn't have that much of a unique quality in his appearance, he doesn't 'physically' radiates power, nor does one can assume that he is someone that do not belong to their world.

But that is just talking about his physical appearance. Spiritually, however—

'It seems... That, what Hestia had told me was right,' She thought. 'His soul, it is much more different than the ones in this world. It is different in shape, it is different in quality, and most importantly, it is 'fundamentally' different in structure... Such an enigma as him shouldn't have been allowed to cross this world with ease. His existence alone....."

"See?" The Goddess of Hearth claimed in a squeaky bellow, "I told you I'm telling the truth!"

Hephaestus can only sigh as she watched her friend stood up with her arms fixated across her hips, smiling ear to ear with her eyes closed in such a prideful nature. Overall, her posture alone screamed the words, 'praise me more,' as the Goddess of Smith stared at the much more smaller Goddess whilst she continued to spread that smugly look on her face.

'How troublesome,' was the only words she can think of as she shifted her eyes to that of the 'other-worldy' teen— only for a drop of sweat to form within her forehead as the image seems to only worsen by then. Sitting across the table they're in, just besides of the smug Hestia who was still giggling by herself, was the one called Roneru; he was a boy no older than sixteen or a seventeen— his skin was tan, his hair was black, and dark eyes as void as the night, he have. It was evident that he's just your regular Joe you will see in every street. The only thing he has that stands out from the others was the comically numerous mountains of bumps that are plastered across his head, and knowing her friend, she can only assume who was the one who did this to the unfortunate teen.

'What a trouble.' She breathed another sigh.

Roneru sat there in silence, his arms resting on the table. He, as much as he looks, seems to be in such deep thoughts. Something is bothering his mind, something unknown to the two Goddesses has been battling in the back of his head. What was he thinking about, what matters was it that put him in this state, has Hestia punished this guy to the point where he can no longer comprehended things? Those are questions even the likes of Hephaestus do not know about.

How intriguing.

"Hey," The one eyed beauty called out to Roneru, prompting the teen to snap back to reality and looked at her. "You seems to be in deep thought. Tell me, what does bothers you so much?"

The teen stared at her, his eyes unmoving even for an inch. He's out of words, very much so. It was as if he was pondering for matters that is of concerns to Hephaestus. Not long after, however, the teen breathed a long defeated sigh. Thus, he leaned back to his chair.

"Hestia has told me that Gods, almighty beings who governs the world such as her, exists in this world." The Goddess nodded, absolutely confirming the question that seems to bother hie mind. "And such, you're one as well."

"Yes, I can confirm that. Is that all that you want to know—?"

"What I want to ask is," Such rude manners, Roneru cuts up Hephaestus before she could even finish her words. "How and why in absolute fuck is Hephaestus a woman?"

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"..."

"Excuse me?"

Slam! And just like that, Roneru slammed his palm across the the hard wooden table, shocking the the two Goddesses in absolute confusion.

"Why in Chaos or whoever primordial God's name are you a woman?!?!" Roneru, in such a frenzied state, eyed the Goddess with a look so intense that it could melt even then hardest metal in the world. "Hephaestus, the God of Smith, was supposed to be a man! He was supposed to be a VERY manly God with a pair of ugly legs! He was supposed to be a wise old man with such bulging muscles, heavenly mustache, and a majestic overgrown beard!"

"..."

The two Goddesses were out of words, all that were being spouted by this mere mortal were but an insult to them, specially the one that is directed to. Hephaestus' eyebrows burrowed in offense, was this mortal testing his luck? While yes, she was a God that was sent in the mortal realm stripped out of all of her divine power, but it seems to her that he had forgotten that they were surrounded by the 'toys' of her possession.

The teen continued to scream.

"How the hell is this possible?! The Greeks totally stated that Hephaestus is a GUY not some bimbo CHICK that anyone sees across many bars!" He clutched his head, refusing to believe that such being was not how he expected them to be; not until now, that is. "What's next? Loki, the God that is the father of Fenrir, the Wolf-Giant-God, is actually a woman? Or that Zeus is actually a good guy that doesn't go around the globe transforming into animals just to have sex with other woman other than his wife?"

"..."

The two Goddesses remained silent.

"Oh my fucking Lord!! Amanaminsumasalangitkasambahinangngalanmo— but what the actual fuck!!" Ultimately confused and frustrated, Roneru sat at his chair, slumped down to the table as he clutched his head. "This world is weird, it's fucking nuts. Please just send me back to my world."

One second, two, three— it took Hephaestus and Hestia a handful of seconds just to ponder what the teen had just said; but nevertheless, they snapped out of it as quick as they fell into shock. Confused, Roneru is confused, Hephaestus concluded it as that, thus, she was able to quickly dispose of the anger that was building across her heart. He was just a mere boy lost within the endless tide of the sea— he do not know anything, he has nothing in hand, as such, he was just someone as confused as they are.

"I'm sorry," The Goddess of Smith breathed a sigh. "But you know we Gods can't do that, not unless through the use of arcanum that we are forbidden to ever use."

"I know... I know." The teen burrowed his head against the table, being swallowed by nothing but the arms of despair.

Hephaestus turned to look at Hestia; this time, however, the little Goddess' has her head lowered, empathy of such heights radiating out of her physical form. She cannot feel but absolute sympathy to the guy, and even the Goddess of such seriousness such as Hephaestus can't help but feel the same as her friend. To go out alone in a world where nothing is in his possession, where he has nothing but only himself— no food to eat, no shelter to take cover in, no friends to talk with, and absolutely no family to seek comfort to; at his age, Hephaestus estimated that mortals the same as him would've gone either dead or insane.

Such a poor being.

"Have you discussed this with other people?" Asked Hestia to her friend, snapping the one eyed Goddess back to reality. "We're there other Gods who know of such phenomenon as this? Does 'he' know anything about this matter?"

Hephaestus shook her head, "No."

"I..."

"However, I have scheduled a private appointment to meet with 'him.' To discuss about this matter in a much more serious of a talk, so that whatever anomaly this person might do in the future will not go in chaos. To lessen the ruckus such an enigma as him will bring, or at the very least give him an identity within this world that is far from his."

The Goddess of Hearth breathed a sigh of relief, the tight feeling across her heart fading away as she heard the reassuring words of her friend. No matter how much noisy Roneru have been to her from this point, it is a fact that he was just... A mere human. A human so fragile that it can break at any given point of time, as such, she know that any more trouble of his unknown origin would only worsen the problem he was still trying to cope in. Even Gods often get stressed, so much so to a mere mortal such as him.

"That... Is good to hear."

A small smile crept into her lips, being relieved to what left of her fears. And as such, like twins mimicking one and another, her one eyed friend followed what she did.

Tiptoeing like a child, Hestia hopped to Roneru's side, her pale and soft hand patting the edge of his shoulder. He was still there, slouched across the table as he continued to murmur silent whispers behind his breath. If anyone can kill with their own frustrations, then the teen would've killed the entire world by now; it was just as if he was being consumed by his overwhelming confusion in both literal and metaphorical sense.

"Hey, brighten up, will you?" Hestia spoke, her tone being that of such gentleness that one God would've thought she was using her own divinity to do such thing— only that it is not. "If it will help you of any kind, I'll be answering many of your questions as much as I possibly could, and in return, you'll answer mine as well."

Under the arms that covered his face across the surface of the table, a heave of sigh was heard by the Goddess. As simple as that, Hestia's smile brightened up more than she currently have; being as she had made progress to comforting the teen, no matter how small it might be.

"Sure... Might as well ask some things that is there within this world."

"Great! I'm curious, though. How does the concept of magic works in your world? 'Cause if anything that the word 'other-worldy' says, one of them were the concepts that builds up the world"

"Uhhh, about that." The teen slowly stretched one of his resting hand and scratched his head. " We don't have magic."

"Whaaaat? You don't have magic?! How is that possible? Do you even have Gods?"

And so, the conversation between two different entities, one of such divinity and one of such mortality, progressed further more.

Hephaestus, in the background, cannot help but smile. It's been ages since she had seen Hestia been this much active. Sure, her level of thinking was always as bright as the sun itself, yet to a level of optimism as this, it is a very rare sight even to the likes of Hephaestus herself. Thus, she watched and listened to the chatting two in the open sideways, raising some eyebrow at the mention of some topics that might have caught her growing interests time by time. Nevertheless, it's a good thing that this meeting had gone so smooth, too much smooth even.

'Haaa~, what a trouble this is.'

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______________________

[The very next day]

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"So, found any of your interest yet?" Hestia asked, her footings tiptoeing through the hardened cobblestone ground. "If not, then I have a few suggestions if you'd like to!"

The little Goddess, as was said by Hephaestus herself, was at a mood so bright. It was just yesterday that they had personally met and have accompanied one and another  for only but a single day, yet she acts as if they had already been friends for so many years. It was unnatural, to much so that it was something that sets Roneru unease. This level of encouragement and optimism is something new to his experience.

"Nah, I'll pass. I think what Hephaestus' had told us would be more of our concerns for now." The teen rubbed his eyes.

On this, Hestia wryly smiled, a bead of sweat trailing down on her forehead. She chuckled, her tone being that of a shaky one. Something is wrong, and Roneru can already feel it. "Oh about that..."

A breath of sigh blew out of his throat.

'Aw, good lord let there be mercy to this God.'

How nostalgic, the actions of the petite Goddess struck true to him. He had an idea to what this means— nay, he absolutely 'know' what this means. This wry of a demeanor, her posture, even her smile alone was the only thing Roneru needed for him to know what is going on inside of Hestia's mind.

"I knew it,"  He palmed his face. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"..."

"Bruh."

"Hey, what's with that face?!" The Goddess squeaked, her cheeks forming in a pout as she demandingly pointed her small index finger to the eye twitching teen. "It's not like I'm someone that remembers all things there is, have mercy on my tiny brain!"

Unsuspecting, the Goddess of Hearth argued her actions, not knowing that the mortal teen that stood infront of her have known all there is under her act. She was like an open book to him, a naked fur-shaved bear under the bask of the sun. If one were to be in Roneru's place, it was sure that they would find Hestia and her little tantrum cute, adorable even— that however, was not Roneru, and he had thought of the opposite, too much opposite to how the Goddess have ever expected so.

"Bruh, what in Jesus' name are you talking about? Doesn't Gods such as yourself have to near divine level of comprehension?" He stared at her, his pointing finger mimicking the same as Hestia's. "And don't you reason me with that crap, I'm still salty at you waking me up very early in the morning! Who the hell wakes up so early in the morning just to go buy some things anyways?!"

He was tired, very much so, and that is evident to the pair of darkened sacks that both lays under his eyes— yet it seems that Hestia has yet to notice it, not even a glimpse. In the end, Roneru can do nothing but retreat, only sighing in frustration as he recalled the words discussed by them and Hephaestus herself a day ago.

______________________

[Yesterday, Tower of Babel.]

"I guess that is it for my questions." Hephaestus stated, her thumb and index fingers holding up to her chin. "If you have questions, feel free to ask now."

Roneru raised his hand, his lips being shut close in such stoic and goofy horizontal straight line. His eyes was black, and that is an oddity that Hephaestus came to see, and so as Hestia.

"Hm? Go ahead."

"Ahem," The teen cleared his throat. "This discussion has been plenty of a benefit for me. And sure, this much information for a single day is hard to take in, but there is something that really troubles my mind."

"And that is?"

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"...where will I live by then?"

"Hmm, good question." The Goddess of Smith hummed, being pulled once again into the back of her mind. That, is a though one, she may say. Being as it was them who had found him first, as such, it is much more their responsibility to keep him working and 'alive.' If something wrong happened to him, perhaps to be targeted by members of Evilus, then they'll be the ones responsible for it. Sure, they can keep this a secret, to only move on if something of the unnatural happened to the teen and never bothering to involve themselves in such matters, but with some Gods having some form of abilities such as 'her,' then she's afraid that keeping it a secret would only bring more trouble than solutions.

Thus—

"I say that Hestia will take care of you."

"Guoak!" Like a whale's blowhole spraying sea water up in the air, Hestia spat the tea she was currently drinking, choking up to the beverage she had attempted to drink as she coughed up to no end. "Wh—cuh, what?!"

"Of course, it is you who had found him first and it is you who had used a bit of your Arcanum just to have an idea to who or what he even was, are you not?" Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, "Or perhaps do you plan to run away, to once again neglect the bearing of responsibility that you had put yourself into?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Hestia crossed her arms in defense, her head shaking sideways in absolute disapproval. "I would never! Just leave it to me and everything will be A-okay!"

"Sure..." The one eyed Goddess breathed a sigh, slowly shifting her gaze to Roneru as she slid her hand to her drawer. "Anyways, am I safe to assume that this friend of mine bestowing you with her blessing would not be of too much concern to you? If so, then I suppose atleast taking shelter to her residence would be the least I can do."

"Oh, wait. By blessing, do you mean joining her family or something thingy?" Roneru scratched his cheeks, sheepishly chuckling in a slight bit of nervousness. "I haven't yet fully understood the concepts that builds of this world yet, so I apologize if I said something wrong."

"None taken; and yes, her 'God and Mortal' bond contract called 'Falna' that lets you join her very own familia is what I am talking about." To this response of her, Hephaestus pulled her hand out, tossing a sack of money, or as what they call it, Valis, to the table that is placed across them. "Here's a little bit of cash. Go buy him some decent clothing, Hestia. And probably let him take a little magic imbued shower; no offense, but you stench like you have yet to bathe for so many days."

An offense, this may sound to others, yet as she saw the look in Roneru's eyes, it was evident that he do not care, nor does he even gives, as many people say it, a single damn fuck. Unbeknownst to her or even Hestia for that matter, unfortunately, the one eyed Goddess' exaggerated claim was something that was of literal means to the teen.

"Oh! Sure thing, Hephaestus. You bet this guy will be cleaned tommorow in no time! He'll look brand new!" The Goddess of Hearth gave her friend a thumbs up, reassuring her that she will keep it remembered.

"Very well."

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She will remember it.

Hephaestus believed that she, her very own friend, will keep her words.

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______________________

[Present Day, Orario: Northern East.]

That, however, she did not.

"Aw come on! Why do have to tease me like that? Gods still makes mistakes, specially in the mortal realm, you know?!" Hestia cried, two waterfall streams of tears comically trailing down across her cheeks. At this time, it was Roneru who had taken the high ground, the Goddess can admit that for sure.

"Shut." The teen in ragged clothes motioned his hands to the Goddess, clasping his own lips as to let his message be know by this much more forgetful Goddess than he is. He was keeping his cool so much, too much even so that it had gone to the point that it had became very unnatural even to himself. He was truly managing his emotions after his previous short outburst, and it felt so much great. Yet, as what one wise man often says, 'Inside of the calm coffee, lays something that boils hotter than normal water.'

As such—

'I wanna sleep. Can I just sleep in the road? Would anyone mind it? Maaan~, why does she have to wake me up so early? It's fucking six in the morning. What? Are we gonna go buy vegetables to eat this early I'm the morning? It's too early, for Christ's sake!'

"Hey!"

"Oof, yeah?" Roneru snapped back, "What's the matter?"

Without uttering any words of any kind, she grabbed a hold of the teen's wrist and began pulling him, leading him to a place only her have known about. Her demeanor has changed once more, and it seems that she had gotten an idea on how to solve their initial problems that was those of his smell and clothing. They passed by people of every race, sneaking away from the sardines and piles of masses as the two of them traveled through different directions.

He cannot escape, her grip has become firm and he no longer have the power to counter back. She has taken the lead, the one being in command for the current point of time.

"Hey, where in the wide and bright space of heaven are you now going again?!" The look in Roneru's eyes were that of confusion. He was absolutely out of words, the Goddess was walking nonstop in a direction very random to him, as such, if this was what he think it is, then it would be of less concern to him. He does not hate it, nor does he even have something of a grudge against it; however, it just frustrates him that she did not even give him breaks of some sort, he has been walking for the past few hours without a stop.

"I had remembered of something just now, and it fits the criteria we are looking for!" The Goddess claimed brightly as she pulled him along with her across the suffocating mass of the crowds.

"And what is that, might I ask?"

"Of course —!"

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"We are going to a spring!"