Bell-kun, Don't Think Of Me As A Useless Goddess!
Chapter 9 - Bell-kun, Don't Think Of Me As A Useless Goddess!
After becoming the goddess of her own familia, Hestia was directly driven out by Hephaestus. The reason was relatively straightforward.
"You have already established a familia and can't continue living here. As the goddess of a familia, you should behave like one."
Hephaestus's words left Hestia no choice but to go, even though she was full of tears. She couldn't stay there with her children. As a familia, they first needed a place to call their own. Relying on someone else's place to live would mean failing as a goddess.
Hestia couldn't stay with Hephaestus and her children. If it was just her, Hestia might have thickened her skin and stayed. But with her children, she couldn't show such a shameless side.
Thus, Hestia had to leave Hephaestus's shop and find a place for her familia to live.
However, with no funds, finding a suitable place was impossible. After all, money is a crucial part of society. Without money, they couldn't secure a decent place to live.
This meant that the Hestia Familia had to look for a place where money was optional. Bell thought of a deserted corner of Orario mentioned in the original story, a rare ruin that no one cared about.
"Hestia, is there any place in Orario where we don't need money?"
"Well... I do know of such a place."
Hestia knew a place that didn't require money but knew no other god would choose it. Now, it seemed she had no choice. As a goddess, she had no economic strength.
Choosing such a place as their base was unfortunate, making Hestia afraid to look at her first child.
"It's an abandoned church. It's remote, dark, and lacks essential living space."
Bell, however, was okay with these issues.
The most important thing for the Hestia Familia wasn't wealth, power, or status, but Hestia herself. Hestia was the most valuable part of the familia, and wealth, power, and status would come from future development. No god would claim to have achieved wealth and freedom right after arriving in the lower world.
Bell shook his head slightly.
"Hestia, please don't worry about those things. The development of a familia isn't achieved overnight. A newly established familia can't spend much money. Moreover, remoteness, darkness, and obscurity suit our current situation."
"Can you understand that?"
"Of course. Because of me, our Hestia Familia is arranged far from other familias, preventing my abilities from being known."
Bell knew Hestia was a sensitive goddess, and he attributed the situation to himself. It was due to his particular circumstances that Hestia had to worry less.
"Bell-kun is looking out for my feelings."
Hestia wasn't naive; she understood why Bell said these words. It was to make her not worry about the shabby place they would live in. However, being taken care of by her children was both touching and a bit of a blow to her pride as a goddess.
"Alright, Bell, I've decided. Let's settle in that abandoned church first. When we save enough money, we'll move to a bigger place."
"Hestia, that's the spirit."
Seeing Hestia smile again, Bell encouraged her.
"Hee hee~"
Though being cared for by her child was new, Hestia liked it very much.
Adjusting her posture, Hestia composed herself and held her child's hand.
"Let's go to our new home."
The ruins of Hera Familia church were in a remote part of Orario, the most isolated place. No other familia would choose such a ruin, and no other familia was nearby. The level of remoteness was unparalleled.
Apart from being a ruin, the place had potential if it could be rebuilt. However, the cost of rebuilding was too high, more than outright buying property. Thus, this area was destined to be a temporary place.
Seeing the place for the first time, Hestia found it shabbier than expected.
"Wow, this place is really shabby."
But thinking about setting such a shabby place as the base of their familia, Hestia felt she had lost her majesty as a goddess. Worried about her first child's thoughts, she looked at Bell carefully.
"It's a ruin, so don't expect too much, Lady Hestia. It's better than nothing for now. It just needs some basic repairs to be livable."
"We'll need to check the surroundings too."
Bell wasn't worried about the ruins' safety. He and Hestia were the only members of the Hestia Familia. As long as his abilities were kept secret, no gods would bother them. However, a primary survey was necessary.
He would need help from other familia members to keep his situation hidden. The Loki Familia, the second most powerful, was the best choice. Their strength deterred others from interfering.
However, this plan required improving his own strength first. He would need to hide only after becoming stronger, reducing the risk of unwanted attention.
Bell understood this well.
"Hestia, night is falling. We need to find a place to sleep."
"You're right."
Hestia noticed the darkening sky. Preparations were necessary before nightfall. Since there likely weren't any lighting tools in the ruins, they would need to use firewood for light.
Thinking this, Hestia regretted leaving Hephaestus's place.
But seeing her familia, especially her first child, Hestia dismissed her decadent thoughts. She couldn't afford to be downcast now that she wasn't alone.
"Bell, let's decide where to stay before it gets dark. We need to clean the place up a bit."
"Hestia, I can handle the cleaning myself..."
"Wrong!"
Hestia interrupted Bell. She knew Bell could manage alone, but as the goddess, she couldn't just watch her child do all the work. She needed to help, too.
"I must reclaim my majesty as a goddess."
Hestia spoke seriously.
"Bell, this is our first task as the Hestia Familia. We may not have the funds to buy the best property, but we must work together to clean up our temporary home."
Seeing this, Bell couldn't refuse.
Hestia pressed on.
"Bell-kun, don't think of me as a useless goddess who can't do anything. I can handle simple tasks, too. So, rely on me more in the future."
"I understand, Hestia."
Bell sighed slightly but felt a bit more at ease.