by Fujino Omori
He left with a big smile on his face. It was the innocent smile of a child who knew nothing of plots and schemes.
Hestia turned and watched him leave, standing still for a moment before her twin black ponytails sunk like the tail of a sad puppy.
Lilly looked on in confusion at the dark cloud of sadness hovering over Hestia.
“…Wh-what luck. I wanted to find a way to get him to go away for a moment anyway. It’s no big deal.”
“Y-yes.”
Hestia plunked her rear end into Bell’s now vacant chair, her face pouty and a bit red.
Lilly followed suit and sat down.
“Well, let’s get right to it. Never know when he’ll be back. No need for introductions, right? I’m sure Bell told you who I am.”
“Y-yes.”
It would still be a few more minutes before Lilly realized in what direction Hestia was driving the conversation.
While Lilly was a young prum girl, her youthful look and innocence were nothing compared to Hestia’s. The goddess seemed to exist right on the border between “fetching girl” and “lovely young lady.”
But that uncertainty somehow only accentuated her beautiful, fine features.
She was part mischievous troublemaker, but also refined—both elements seemingly intertwined within her.
Sunlight that managed to find its way between the parasols struck Hestia’s jet-black ponytails, making them glitter around her.
“I’ll ask you up front. Supporter, are you still trying to run any scams?”
“—”
Lilly was taken aback by the too-direct question.
Hestia didn’t even blink as she stared across the table. Despite her looks, Hestia possessed a dignity befitting a goddess.
Lilly suddenly realized she was being tested. Hestia had seen right through her.
As proof, Hestia had not said Lilly’s name even once up to this point. However, after all that Lilly had done to Bell, it was only natural that the goddess saw her as an untrustworthy prum.
In response, Lilly spoke earnestly from her heart. “Absolutely not. Lilly was saved by Mr. Bell. Lilly doesn’t want to do anything that could hurt or betray him anymore.”
Their eyes met, both unblinking. Neither looked away. The background noises of the street and the café seemed distant.
No one can lie to a god. While she had heard the words before, it was not until that moment that Lilly realized how true they were. Hestia could see right through her.
The gods and goddesses had the power to detect any lie here in the earthly world of Gekai, if they felt like it.
“…Hmm, okay. I’ll believe those words.”
Hestia’s words put a merciful end to an extremely long minute for Lilly.
All of the air that had built up in Lilly’s lungs was suddenly released as the muscles in her shoulders relaxed.
“Supporter, Bell is a very special person to me. He’s my pride and joy, the center of my world. My first member, my first family. I can tell you honestly that I don’t want to lose him.”
Hestia paused for a moment, inhaling, and then continued.
“Bell has told me a lot about you, including your motivations for stealing.”
“……”
“I have no intention of giving you any cheap sympathy. In fact, that would be impossible. So, I have nothing to say on the subject…However.”
She let the word hang to let Lilly know that this was the important part.
As she opened her mouth to speak again, Hestia’s eyes blocked out everything except for the girl.
“If you should do something, anything, that puts that boy in a dangerous situation again…I will make you pay.”
—Lilly couldn’t move.
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
A very important fact had slipped her mind. While the girl in front of her didn’t look much different from anyone else around them, she was from a completely different world. She was a goddess.
It was so obvious that Hestia had the power—like all deities from Deusdia—to turn this entire city to ash in an instant, that Lilly had forgotten it.
Under a blue gaze so cold it sent icicles through her heart, Lilly drew power from her true feelings to make a response. It took all of her might to open her mouth to speak.
“…Lilly swears to you. She will never do anything to put Mr. Bell in danger, Lady Hestia in danger…or even Lilly herself, ever again.”
Other café patrons continued their casual conversations with no idea what was unfolding behind them.
The two of them sat there in silence for some time before Hestia closed her eyes, signaling the end of that conversation.
Blinking several times, Hestia mouthed, “Okay” to the girl. Seeing that broke the ice that had kept Lilly’s body rigid, and she went limp. She was about to fall face-first into the table but managed to catch herself at the last moment.
After delivering her warning, Hestia crossed her arms in front of her incredibly bulbous chest and eyed Lilly silently. She started sulking. Lilly noticed the heavy aura emanating from the goddess and did everything she could to make her body smaller.
“…Supporter. I’ll be honest with you.”
“Y-yes?”
“I hate you. I don’t want you anywhere near Bell.”
“!”
Lilly’s eyes shot open as Hestia continued.
“It should be obvious. I knew you were bad news from the moment I first heard about you—taking advantage of Bell’s kindness and doing whatever you please. Even now, you’re trying to gain favor by acting like you’ve already paid your dues. What’s your scheme, you deceiving vixen?!”
The cat ears on top of Lilly’s head from her “Cinder Ella” magic began to shake. The prum then broke out in a cold sweat, confused by Hestia’s choice of words.
“Besides, what’s with you? You’ve been making that downcast face ever since I sat down. I’m getting depressed just looking at you!”
It was like she was claiming Lilly’s very presence made the food taste bad.
The goddess kept going, pouting like a toddler.
“I’ll bet you were thinking about Bell, weren’t you?”
“!”
“How did I know, you ask? Because I saw a look on your face that I only see when I look in the mirror! Ahhh, I hate this! I don’t want you spending time with Bell!”
Terrible waves of dread began to run up Hestia’s back.
The other patrons had noticed something was going on, their eyes on the two girls but inching away. Lilly looked like she was going to cry.
“Being saved by Bell made you turn over a new leaf, huh? Did you stop to think that you’re just going to cause him more trouble because he’s too kind for his own good?”
“?!”
“He won’t do anything to you for revenge, so you’re feeling the crushing weight of guilt on your shoulders. But if I may say so, you’re just taking advantage of him. I really, really hate you.”
Hestia’s words were blades, cutting deeper and deeper.
Hestia’s eyes locked squarely on the prum. Lilly couldn’t make a sound.
“Fine, then. I’ll punish you in Bell’s place. But just so you know, you have no right to refuse. I’ll give a pure ‘Judgment’ right here and now.”
Air shot of out Hestia’s nose in a flow of anger.
A dazzled Lilly could do nothing more than nod. There might even have been a part of her that accepted the words of Bell’s goddess and wanted to go along with them.
Lilly waited for Hestia’s mouth to open again, every nerve in her body about to explode.
As for Hestia, she was grinding her teeth together, menacingly towering over Lilly…until words failed her. Hestia let out a deep sigh.
“Please, look after Bell.”
“…eh?”
“Tch.” Hestia almost spat the sound in Lilly’s direction. “Let me just say this: I’m not doing it for you. After hearing him talk about you, I’m worried a
bout Bell. You could say my fears were confirmed…He’s easily tricked.”
“……”
“So I ask you. Make sure he doesn’t get fooled by some stranger. You must guard him.”
Lilly sat there in shock. She gathered her thoughts, trying to respond, but nothing came out of her mouth.
Hestia’s gaze didn’t allow it.
“You know, I’m not doing something cheeky like passing judgment on you, right? We deities don’t do that nowadays. The reason you feel guilty is because you won’t forgive yourself.”
Hestia intensified her glare, as if to say Don’t go to Bell looking for forgiveness.
“If you want to pay him back, help him until he’s satisfied. It’s obvious. You know that thing called sincerity? And finishing what you start? If you really have changed, then prove it with your actions.”
Hestia’s torrent of words finally came to an end.
Hestia may have been harsh, but Lilly could sense the goddess’s true colors.
The Goddess Hestia had given her a chance. She was merciful.
She was generous and noble at the same time.
Everything up to that point had been her personal feelings. But despite all that, she decided to allow Lilly to be Bell’s supporter.
She would extend mercy to anyone; she was a protector of those in need.
Thankful for her sudden warmth, Lilly silently looked up at Hestia before giving her a deep bow of her head.
The aura between the two girls had become as tranquil as a lagoon hidden deep within a forest.
“Sorry to keep you waiting—!”
“…I grant you my blessing to work with him. Please be sure to protect him. Just don’t do anything more than that.”
“Wha… ?”
Hestia’s sudden warning broke the tranquility. Lilly’s eyes opened in disbelief.
Before she could ask her what she meant by that, Bell set a chair down at their table. The moment he opened his mouth to apologize yet again, Hestia quickly reached out, snagged his arm, and pulled it into her.
“Ah—”
“Goddess… ?”
“Shall we reintroduce ourselves? Nice to meet you, Supporter. Looks like you’re going to be helping my Bell out a lot in the near future.”
Hestia put a little too much emphasis on “my.” Her aura had changed once again. Now she was like a tigress protecting her territory. Her cold stare from before had become a line of fire, as if to say hands off or I’ll tear you apart.
Lilly flinched away, her cheek twitching at Hestia’s maneuvering.
She was a goddess. Generous and righteous, Hestia was worthy of worship and praise.
But she was also a child.
Or rather—a rival.
She was pulling Bell’s arm up against her, purposefully creating a barrier in front of him. A spark of anger flashed in the back of Lilly’s mind.
They had come to a point of peace just a moment ago, but this was different.
Whoosh! Lilly reached out with both hands and grabbed ahold of Bell’s other arm.
Lilly faced down Hestia’s burning glare of death with her own defiant gaze.
“No no, the pleasure’s all Lilly’s. Bell has always been so terribly kind to Lilly, after all.”
“……!”
A young prum on one side, a young goddess on the other.
They might have looked like cute little girls on the outside, but they stared each other down with the faces of fully-grown women.
Not even tall enough for their legs to touch the ground sitting in their chairs, the two young ladies glared knives at one another.
G-Goddess—?!
Bell’s arm was being pressed into Hestia’s rather extensive cleavage and he was starting to panic. He had no idea what was taking place just under his chin.
In the battle of the two ladies, the goddess had claimed the first point.
“D-drat…! Just like a goddess…So those things aren’t just for show…!”
“Did you say something, Supporter… ?”
“Um, Lilly. What’re you planning to do next… ?” After the smoke had cleared, Bell struck up a conversation.
Everyone had calmed down to the point that they were sitting peacefully in their chairs. Lilly’s eyes, currently a golden brown hue, looked at Bell in confusion.
“You don’t exactly…have a home to go back to right now, do you, Lilly?”
“No, I don’t. That was true before, too, but Lilly’s staying at cheap motels.”
Lilly flashed a nervous smile as Bell turned his attention to Hestia.
Although Hestia’s lip twitched ever so slightly, she made eye contact and gave a big nod.
“Lilly, if it’s okay with you…Why don’t you stay with us at our home?”
“… ?”
“What I’m trying to say is, do you want to join Hestia Familia? It’s just me and the goddess right now.”
Of course Bell knew that Lilly was already a member of Soma Familia, but he also knew that she had no connection with them anymore.
That’s why he thought he’d make the offer. Rather than leave her out on the streets, why not invite her to join them? It was something that Bell himself wanted, too.
Hestia showed little reaction, and all that was left was for Lilly to agree.
“…Lady Hestia, is that okay? You don’t hate Lilly… ?”
“Hee-hee-hee…Don’t get the wrong idea. No matter how much I don’t like you, ignoring a child in your situation goes against my principles. I came here today knowing that I might end up hosting you until you find your next job.”
Hestia’s cheeks were turning red as she braced every muscle in her head to squeeze out those words with a straight face. Her obvious lie made Bell grimace uncomfortably.
Lilly chuckled at the two of them before taking a deep breath and slowly shaking her head.
“Thank you, Mr. Bell, Lady Hestia. But the thought alone is enough for Lilly.”
“Wha…Wh-why?!”
“Lilly would feel bad for taking advantage of your kindness again, and…Lilly is still a member of Soma Familia.”
Laughing at Bell’s stunned reaction, Lilly reached around her back from over her shoulder.
Even Hestia squinted her eyes, thinking about the status engraved at the tips of Lilly’s fingers.
“As a member of Soma Familia, Lilly isn’t allowed to go to Mr. Bell and Lady Hestia’s home. If the fact that Lilly was staying there were found out, it would cause trouble for both of you. Lilly couldn’t forgive herself if that happened.”
“I-I’m not worried about that…Oh.” Bell was just about to take a bite out of his lunch when he suddenly realized something important and froze.
This was no longer just his problem. His family would be in danger as well.
Bell closed his eyes as though a sudden headache had struck him. Forcing his eyelids half-open, he looked over at Hestia.
“Supporter, what are the conditions for leaving Soma Familia? Is it forbidden altogether? What did your god say about it?”
“Soma has never said anything directly…But most likely, Lilly thinks it involves a large amount of money.”
“Money, huh…”
Besides members, the main thing that Hestia Familia lacked was money.
Thanks to Bell’s efforts in the Dungeon, the two of them were much better off now than they had been a month ago, but they still had to save as much as possible. The most money they could hope to offer at this point would be around 10,000 vals.
And even if by some miracle Bell and Hestia were able to raise enough money to pay for Lilly’s release, there was no way that Lilly would be willing to accept it.
“Is it that difficult to break away from a Familia… ? I know someone who has…”
“It’s up to the god. Some will listen to that kind of request, others won’t.”
The risk of leaving a Familia was all on the person leaving; it was also hazardous to the Familia itself. The biggest
risk was, of course, information being leaked.
No matter how dissolute the god or goddess was, this level of Familia management needed to be handled very delicately. Generally speaking, deities preferred to avoid their members leaving the group.
“The person you’re talking about might have circumstances that they can’t discuss.” Hestia spoke to Bell after a quick glance at Lilly. Both Bell and the prum understood what she was getting at.
Lilly still belonged to the same Familia, but at the same time was separate. She was no different from a street cat, a stray adventurer.
As for the person who had received permission to leave their Familia—Mama Mia, the owner of The Benevolent Mistress—Bell had a feeling that Hestia was right. Considering a few things that Syr Flover and the others had let slip in conversation, it’s very possible Mia might have some “special circumstances.”
Even without asking directly, Bell was getting a good sense of just how difficult life was for people who left their Familia.
“…What about people who didn’t choose to be a part of the Familia? They don’t have a say it in it?”
“A child is part of the family. Farmer’s children become farmers. That’s how it is, Mr. Bell.”
If a child’s parents were already members of a Familia, that child was destined to join, whether they liked it or not.
Looking at it from the god’s or goddess’s perspective, the child was the parent’s responsibility. It wasn’t as though the god had asked to have a crying baby in their home, so they weren’t likely to take care of it.
To be blunt, it wasn’t the god’s concern.
In the end, permission to leave a Familia came down to the god’s disposition. Did they have a generous streak, or not?
Because if the member was unlucky, they could be asked for an unreasonably large sum of money, or be given an impossible task to complete as their god watched from a distance, enjoying the show.
Bell looked over at the smiling Lilly with concern in his eyes.
“Without Soma’s assistance, you can’t update your status…and I suppose you can’t covert.”
“Probably not…”
“But you’re not planning to stay at this level forever, right? Are you planning to pay him a visit at some point?”
“Yes. Lilly knows it’s not an option right now, but Lilly will go to Soma when the time is right. Lilly’s not sure if he’ll listen to her, though…”