"Hestia... Are you sure your son came to the city? Because I don't see him."
Sighing wearily, Hephaestus shrugged.
They had been walking through the city for some time, but the Champion still hadn't appeared.
"He's here! I'm sure of it!"
Hestia, on the other hand, clenched her fist. Despite wandering the city for a while, she wouldn't give up. The connection with her son was the proof that Yuki was in the city.
"Well... Let's take a break at least. I'm tired of walking."
Refusing to walk any further, Hephaestus spotted an empty bench in the city center. Without waiting for Hestia's confirmation, she sat down for a brief rest.
"Hephaestus! This is not the time to rest! What if a goddess thief takes my son?!"
Looking at Hephaestus relaxing, Hestia tried to lift her, but unfortunately, Hephaestus didn't listen.
"Oh, it's not that bad, Hestia. I'm sure your son is just relaxing in some tavern or something. I don't think he's been kidnapped."
"It's precisely because of this! What if some woman deceives him?! He's just a child!"
"You should have thought about it before boasting with Loki."
Looking at Hestia disdainfully, Hephaestus didn't move. But as if mishearing, she couldn't help but ask.
"Wait, did you say 'child'?"
"Fufu, that's right! My son is just a very adorable child. You'll surely love him... that's why I'm sure that if those goddess thieves see him, they'll try to kidnap him."
Puffing her chest with pride, Hestia boasted of her adorable appearance. However, this also made her grit her teeth; after all, her son was a delicacy, no matter how you looked at it.
Watching her friend boast again, Hephaestus only gave her a blank look, at the same time remaining speechless.
"A child? How old is he?"
"Hm? The last time I saw him, he was 9, so he must be... 12? I'm not sure; the time between worlds is different."
Tilting her head, Hestia tried to make a mathematical calculation, but she only got a headache. Trying to understand the different timelines between worlds was too complicated, and Hestia didn't have the time or patience for such a thing.
"9 years old?! Hestia, you..."
Opening her eyes in shock, Hephaestus now knew why her friend could catch a Champion; she literally could be said to have deceived a child. This made Hephaestus start to doubt Hestia's tastes, while also considering reporting her for child abduction.
"Hey, did you hear the rumor?"
"Are you talking about the Sword Princess?"
"Yeah, that one! I heard she was defeated in an instant by a little masked guy."
"Come on, friend, don't believe in those rumors... Sword Princess, a level 5, defeated in an instant? There's a limit to lying."
"But Dogoos saw it personally!"
"Dogoos? That useless drunk? Don't believe him; that fool creates false rumors every week."
While Hephaestus and Hestia had their heated discussion, a couple of adventurers passed by them, chatting about the new hot gossip spreading throughout Orario.
Needless to say, Hestia perked up her ears, trying to listen, and what she heard displeased her.
"Wait!"
Waving her arms, Hestia stood in front of the adventurers, who in response tilted their heads in confusion.
"Um... Goddess-sama?"
"Um! My name is Hestia. Would you be so kind as to tell me about that rumor?"
"Of course, Hestia-sama!"
Enthusiastically agreeing, the adventurer who was spreading the word didn't hesitate to spill all the beans. This made his friend shake his head because he knew these rumors were more false than the love promised by the woman he was with last night.
Hephaestus, on the other hand, just looked at her friend, who was now in detective mode.
"Hestia... You've stooped so low as to deceive a child."
Sighing in disappointment, Hephaestus brought a hand to her face.
"What?! Did that flat-chested invite him?!"
Roaring like a lioness, Hestia grabbed the adventurer by the neck, looking at him with fury.
*Gulp
Swallowing hard, the adventurer was very depressed. He was just spreading the word as a good Samaritan, but now, Hestia seemed to want to kill him.
"Yes... According to... my understanding... they charged at the Sword Princess and headed to the Hostess of Fertility."
The adventurer said with trembling words. After all, Hestia was very scary, and he still didn't want to die.
"Aghhh! My son will be stolen!"
"Guha?!"
Abruptly releasing the adventurer, Hestia screamed at the top of her lungs, and what she feared the most was coming true.
"Hiiii?!"
The adventurer was scared by this, so much so that he didn't hesitate to run away, taking his friend with him.
"So, do you know where he is?"
Approaching slowly, Hephaestus looked at her friend, who now had her hands on her head, with a look as if it were the end of the world.
At the same time, Hephaestus also looked disdainfully at the two pathetic adventurers who escaped with their tails between their legs; with this lack of courage, Hephaestus knew that these two were at most level 2.
"Waaaaa, Hephaestus... my son... Wuuu"
With tears in her eyes, Hestia broke into tears; she had no confidence in Yuki.
After all, she had fooled him before, and knowing Loki, her son must be in the process of changing families by now.
"Haaa~, come on, don't get depressed; the connection still exists, right? We just have to go get him."
"That's right!"
Regaining her enthusiasm instantly, Hestia wiped away her tears, and a smile formed on her face.
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go get the boy."
"That's right! Let's go for my son."
Shaking her head, Hephaestus felt like her life was slipping away every time she was with Hestia, but this time, she had to accompany her. After all, her curiosity about the Champion was itching, and the fact that he was a child only increased her curiosity.
"So, where are we going?"
"To the Hostess of Fertility!"
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TN: Hestia is a beta tester....