Sitting down at the table where Hestia had set up dinner, Alex helped her sit down and they began to eat. They ate slowly, savoring the food. Alex noticed that Hestia was in a very good mood and decided to ask his little goddess what she was so happy about.
"My new bed has arrived, and I've already tried it out. Also, my future family captain successfully completed his first raid in the dungeon," Hestia proudly puffed out her chest, boasting about her child's achievements and successes.
"So, while I was busy in the dungeon, all you did was eat and sleep?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the goddess of the hearth, and I must take care of the home. From your words, I sound like a lazy goddess," Hestia retorted, pouting.
"Okay, okay, you're not a lazy goddess, but a caretaker of the home," Alex agreed, sighing.
After finishing their dinner, they moved from the table to the new couch, where Alex could tell Hestia about his first day in the dungeon.
"Well, come on, don't hold back, tell me how your day went in the dungeon?" Hestia asked, bouncing in place.
"I can say that the day turned out to be more productive than I expected. The amount I earned proves that I'll be able to gather enough money quickly to build a house," Alex replied, pouring tea.
"And how much valis did you earn? Tell me quickly!" Hestia said, grabbing Alex and shaking him again.
"Please, stop shaking me, you'll spill my tea," Alex said, trying to stop the goddess.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. No need to get upset. I earned 120 thousand valis in one go," Alex replied.
"Wow, you earned that much on your first dungeon dive! I knew my captain is capable of a lot," Hestia said with shining eyes, giggling foolishly.
Noticing that his goddess was behaving strangely, Alex decided to ask why she was giggling so foolishly.
"I'm not acting silly, I'm just eagerly waiting for the opportunity to brag to the other gods that I have such a strong captain," Hestia said with such pride as if she had achieved it herself.
"Okay, okay. Then you can brag as much as you want, I'll support you in that," Alex replied.
"Hestia, don't forget that we need to go to the administration tomorrow to buy this church. We're living here illegally. How can a family become better if they don't even have their own home?" Alex reminded her.
"I know, there's no need to remind me that my family has no home," Hestia replied, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster's.
"No need to pout. Tomorrow we'll buy this church, and we'll have our own home. So let's wash up and get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow," Alex said, poking her puffed cheeks, which made a "Pffff" sound.
"Stop treating me like a child. I'm already an adult goddess and can decide when to go to sleep," Hestia began to object.
"Yes, yes, as you say, my little goddess. Now let's go wash up," Alex replied, putting Hestia on his shoulder and carrying her to the bathroom.
After Alex helped his goddess wash up, he put her to bed and settled himself on the new couch. Lying down on it, he thought, "I could sleep on this forever." Those were his last thoughts before he fell asleep.
In the morning...
Waking up early, Alex opened his eyes and saw Hestia sleeping with a silly smile, drooling on his body. He wondered how Hestia managed to sneak into his bed without waking him. Shaking his head to clear unnecessary thoughts, he decided to start waking the sleepy goddess.
"Hestia, wake up, we have things to do today. I hope you haven't forgotten," Alex said, gently shaking the sleeping goddess.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up. You know, girls need a long sleep to stay beautiful," Hestia sleepily murmured, getting up.
"You're beautiful already, even in the morning. Now get off me and go wash up," Alex said, carefully removing Hestia from himself and placing her on the floor.
"How can you say such things to an innocent lady so early in the morning?" blushed Hestia, and she hurried off to the bathroom.
"She's so cute," thought Alex. "Now I need to get up myself and prepare for today's busy day."
He got off the couch and headed to the bathroom, preparing for the day ahead.
Some time later...
Exiting the church, Alex and Hestia headed towards the administration office. On the way, they made sure to buy breakfast so they wouldn't have to deal with business on an empty stomach.
As they walked, Alex reminded Hestia of their plans for the day so she would be prepared for an active day.
"Hestia, you understand that we'll be walking a lot today, so there's no need to start acting up right away. Our plan for today is to buy the land where the church stands, then go to the workshop to hire people to repair it, so it doesn't collapse on us one day. After that, we'll need to visit the shopping street to buy everyday items," Alex explained his plans to the sleepy goddess.
"I won't act up. If I get tired, you can just carry me," Hestia confidently replied.
"I don't mind carrying you. Just letting you know it's going to be a busy day," Alex said, preemptively warning Hestia about what to expect.
Some time later...
Arriving at the administration office, Alex and Hestia noticed a small queue. Alex sighed, realizing they would have to wait in line again. With no other choice, he gently pulled Hestia to take their place in line. While Alex was lost in thoughts about how much this rundown church might cost, their turn came up.
"Good day. How may I help you?" the secretary asked, looking curiously at the duo consisting of a man and a goddess.
"Good day. We're here to purchase the dilapidated church on the outskirts of the city and find out its price. If the price suits us, we'll buy it immediately," Alex calmly replied, making their purpose clear.
"The church on the outskirts, you say?" the secretary clarified.
"That's correct, the half-ruined church," Alex confirmed.
"May I ask what you intend to do with this dilapidated church?" the secretary inquired again.
"My goddess wishes to buy this church to repair it and turn it into a home for her family," Alex answered, stroking Hestia's head, causing her to squint happily like a satisfied cat.
"Then please wait a couple of minutes while I retrieve the records and can give you the price for this property," the secretary succinctly replied, getting up and heading to fetch the documents.
While the secretary searched for the documents, Alex played with Hestia's hair, and she looked around like a curious child, which Alex couldn't help but notice.
"Is something catching your interest, Hestia?" Alex asked his little goddess.
"N-nothing catches my interest. It's just my first time in a place like this, and I'm just curious," Hestia replied slightly excitedly.
Just as Alex was about to ask Hestia a few more questions, the secretary returned with the documents.
"I've found the documents for this church, and its price is 200,000 vallis," the secretary said, placing the documents on the desk.
"Of course, we're prepared to buy it for that price. What documents do we need to fill out to ensure the land and the church on it become our family's property?" Alex asked, unfazed by the price.
"You'll need to fill out these documents to transfer ownership of the land and the church," the secretary said, handing over the paperwork.
Passing the form to Hestia to fill out, Alex retrieved the money to pay for the purchase upfront.
"Thank you for your purchase. Here are your property documents," the secretary said, handing the documents to Alex.
Tucking the documents into his coat, Alex and Hestia left the administration office and headed towards the construction workshop.
At the construction workshop...
Entering the workshop, Alex and Hestia began searching for someone who could help repair the church and make it suitable for living. After a while, they found the foreman who invited them into his office to discuss the details.
"How can I assist a man and a god who've come to my workshop?" the foreman asked.
"We're here to hire a team of workers to repair a dilapidated church and make it livable," Alex explained.
"We have plenty of capable guys, but first, I'd like to see the church myself to assess the scope of work and cost," the foreman calmly replied.
Using projection magic, Alex showed how the church looked from the outside and inside. The foreman pondered for a moment and began jotting something down in his notepad. After a couple of minutes, he handed a sheet to Alex.
"This is the initial estimate for the repairs and making the building habitable. If you want any changes, the price will adjust based on the materials you choose to use," the foreman said, passing over the price sheet.
Taking the sheet, Alex saw that the price amounted to 300,000 vallis, as Hestia had mentioned.
"The price suits us. If there are any changes needed, it's best to consult my goddess; she knows better what she wants," Alex replied, drawing the foreman's attention to Hestia.
Hestia began explaining what she wanted to change and add, emphasizing the need for high-quality materials. As she spoke, the foreman noted down all her ideas to finalize the repair cost.
After the final calculations, the foreman handed over another sheet, and the price had increased by 150,000 vallis.
After discussing final details, including the down payment and the start of the church renovation work, the foreman clarified:
"To begin with, we'll need to procure materials and assemble the work crew, so we'll start the work next week. If possible, please deposit half of the down payment now so my team can start purchasing materials."
Handing over the down payment, Alex and Hestia bid farewell to the foreman and headed to the trading street to buy everyday items.
Upon arriving at the trading street, Alex and Hestia wandered among shops and street stalls, browsing items needed for their home. Alex noticed that Hestia was already feeling tired.
"Hestia, we also need to thank your friend Hephaestus for her help in finding prices for all the necessary items," Alex said.
"I understand she needs to be thanked, but I'm not sure what gift she would accept," Hestia replied thoughtfully, stroking her chin like a true sage.
"I think I've figured out what we can buy that Hephaestus won't refuse," Hestia exclaimed suddenly, brightening up.
"And what would that be?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A cake! Let's buy a cake and visit her to express our gratitude," Hestia declared, as if she had just found a second wind.
"You just want to eat something sweet, and that's why you chose a cake," Alex chuckled, squinting at his goddess.
"These are minor details. Now, onward to the cake, my faithful steed," Hestia replied, climbing onto Alex's shoulders and directing him towards the pastry shop.
"As you command, my little goddess," Alex sighed, grabbing the bags and heading towards the pastry shop.
After buying the cake chosen by Hestia, they made their way towards the workshop of the goddess Hephaestus.
Upon arriving at Hephaestus's workshop, we entered inside. Before I could knock, Hestia burst in with a shout.
"Hephaestus, I've come to thank you for your help and brought a cake!" Hestia cried out, rushing into the workshop.
"Hestia, how many times have I told you not to barge into my workshop? And I've also told you there's no need to thank me for such help," Hephaestus replied calmly, setting her hammer down on the anvil.
Sighing at her goddess's actions, I entered the workshop and noticed a beautiful woman with crimson eyes and a bandage over one eye, which she kept hidden. Her crimson hair flowed down to her slender waist, and her sharp features highlighted her beauty.
Noticing me, a newcomer, Hephaestus understood that I was a new member of her friend Hestia's family. Observing me carefully, she wanted to discern whether I was trying to take advantage of the carefree Hestia. In her long life, Hephaestus had seen many hypocritical men and women who approached her with specific intentions. The first group desired her body and skills, while the second wanted to use her to create jewelry. But anyone who caught sight of her cursed eye fled immediately upon seeing it. Only Hestia wasn't afraid of it and was always there to save her from loneliness. Therefore, she wanted to understand who this person was that Hestia had brought into their family.
"I apologize for the intrusion and for my goddess's actions," I said apologetically as I entered the workshop.
"It's alright, I'm used to her antics. She lived with me for some time, and we knew each other back in the Realm of the Gods," Hephaestus replied, assessing my behavior.
"Since you've come, let's go to my personal room, which is here in the workshop. I often stay late, so I sometimes remain here," Hephaestus said, gesturing for me to follow her.
Following Hephaestus to her private room, we sat down at the table. Hephaestus went to get the tea set to brew tea. I placed the bags of purchases in the corner and sat at the table, while Hestia helped Hephaestus set out plates and cups. After slicing the cake and pouring the tea, Hephaestus and Hestia began reminiscing about the times they were in the divine realm.
I listened to their conversation, sipping tea and occasionally glancing at the bandage over Hephaestus's eye. Noticing my gaze, she decided to ask:
"Are you curious about the bandage over my eye?" Hephaestus asked, lightly covering the bandage with her hand.
"I am indeed curious about what's under the bandage. But if you're uncomfortable talking about it, you don't have to. I don't want to make things awkward for Hestia's friend," I replied, indicating that she didn't have to share if she didn't want to.
"It's just a very complicated matter, and it's not easy for me to talk about it," Hephaestus said, remembering what she had been through because of her eye.
"I understand it could be a sensitive topic, but perhaps I can help you resolve this issue," I said calmly, trying to reassure Hephaestus.
"That's right, Hephy! Alex is super-duper strong, he can help solve your problem," Hestia chimed in, remembering that I could help her friend.
Entrusting her friend's words, Hephaestus decided to remove the bandage from her eye to see my reaction and whether I would be scared.
Seeing that Hephaestus had removed the bandage, I decided to take a closer look at her eye, as it wasn't explained in the anime. Starting to examine the eye, Alex noticed roughened skin around it that looked dead. The eye itself was dark and shimmered with strange colors. Deciding to approach closer, Alex wanted to understand whether this was a curse or something else. Seeing Alex trying to get closer, Hephaestus panicked and tried to prevent him from coming closer. Seeing her panic, Alex decided to calm her down.
"Hephaestus, there's no need to worry. I want to come closer to understand what's exactly going on with your eye and ask a couple of questions," Alex said calmly to reassure the goddess.
"Alright, just be careful," Hephaestus replied nervously.
"Then, Hephaestus, can you tell me if you were born with this eye or if it became like this over time?" Alex asked, examining the eye and realizing it was a powerful curse.
"I was born with this eye, it just looked different before, but it changed over time," Hephaestus replied, keeping her gaze serious as Alex examined her eye.
"As I looked at it, I found a few ways to rid you of this curse. I can list them, and you can decide which one to choose," Alex said, raising his hand.
"Then you can list these solutions," Hephaestus replied, not entirely believing him. After all, all the healing gods couldn't solve her problem, let alone a mortal she had just met. But she decided to hear him out.
"I have three options: first, transfer it to another; second, disperse the curse one by one because the curse on your eye isn't singular but a whole combination intertwined like a snake's nest, strengthening each other. And the last option—I'll simply separate the curse from you and burn it," Alex began listing, raising fingers on his hand.
"I'm against the first option because I don't want anyone to suffer as I have. What about the second option—can you explain more? And as for the third—what does 'separate the curse' mean?" Hephaestus responded to the options listed.
"The curse on your eye isn't a single curse but a complex combination, intertwined like a nest of snakes, strengthening each other. As for the third option, it's the simplest: I'll use my sword to separate the curse from you and then burn it," Alex answered the goddess's question.
"What sword is capable of such a thing? And I didn't see you come here with a sword," Hephaestus said suspiciously, looking around to see if Alex had brought a sword with him.
"This sword, named 'Yamato,' is part of me, so it's always with me," Alex said, summoning Yamato and showing it to Hephaestus.
"Let me see this sword that can separate a curse from a god," Hephaestus said, snatching the sword from Alex's hands.
"Sure, take it, but only if you can draw this sword," Alex chuckled, handing Yamato to the goddess.
Taking the sword in her hands, Hephaestus first examined it from all sides, then tried to draw the blade from its sheath, but she couldn't. After a couple more attempts, she decided to return it to Alex.
"What kind of sword is this? Even I, the goddess of blacksmithing, can't draw it from its sheath?" Hephaestus asked, beginning to doubt her own divinity.
"Haha, that's a little secret I won't reveal to you just yet, Hephaestus. We need to get to know each other better before sharing such secrets," Alex replied with a laugh, taking the sword back.
"So, Hephaestus, have you decided which way we'll solve your little problem?" Alex asked.
"What do you mean 'little problem'? This problem has haunted me my entire life! And how can this sword possibly help solve it?" Hephaestus began to shout, but calmed down towards the end and asked a question.
"This sword can easily solve your problem, specifically like this," Alex replied. He drew the sword from its sheath and made a gentle swing towards Hephaestus, separating the curse from her and immediately burning it, using the spell "Ei Sheal" to heal the damaged eye and the surrounding skin.
("Ei Sheal" is the most powerful healing spell. It fully heals multiple targets, including lost limbs.)
Not having time to react, Hephaestus felt warmth on her eye and decided to touch it, no longer feeling the familiar roughened skin that had been there for so long. Hope flickered in her eyes that the problem that had plagued her since birth might finally be solved. Hestia never doubted that Alex could help her friend, quietly observing all this time and awaiting her choice.
Noticing the changes in her friend's eye, Hestia began to joyfully jump on her chair. She immediately stood up and rushed for a small mirror so Hephaestus could see the changes. But Hephaestus hesitated to look into the mirror, and Hestia reassured her that her problem had already been solved.
Finally gathering her strength, Hephaestus took the mirror and decided to look at her eye. She didn't see the ugly skin and curse that surrounded it, only a single ruby eye with flames burning inside. Hephaestus checked it several times, not believing her eyes, and couldn't hold back her tears.
Alex decided to approach and calm down Hephaestus, who was crying but smiling. Spending some time comforting her, Hephaestus wiped away her tears and hugged Alex tightly, thanking him for his help.
"I'm really grateful to you, Alex. I don't even know how to thank you," Hephaestus said, still holding him in her embrace.
"No need to thank me. If Hestia considers you family, then you're family to me too," Alex replied with a smile, enjoying her embrace.
"I still feel like I owe you thanks. You have no idea how much you've done for me," Hephaestus said, burying her head in his shoulder.
"I've already said, there's no need. Just your embrace is enough for me, especially from such a beautiful goddess," Alex replied, still smiling.
Seeing that this couple continued to hug and didn't seem willing to let go, Hestia decided to intervene and forcefully separate them.
"Hephaestus, you may be my best friend and I consider you family, but Alex is mine," Hestia said, starting to growl at Hephaestus, who blushed bright red.
"Hestia, I'm not going anywhere. Hephaestus was just very emotional, considering her problem has finally been resolved," Alex said, patting Hestia on the head.
"Hmph," Hestia snorted, folding her arms across her chest and turning away.
"And Hephaestus, you don't need to thank me. A beautiful girl's hug is the best thanks," Alex said, raising a thumbs-up towards Hephaestus.
After his words, Hephaestus blushed to the point where her face matched her hair color. Spending some more time in Hephaestus's company, Alex and Hestia decided to head home. Before leaving, Hephaestus said they could visit more often, and she would definitely thank Alex in the future. After bidding farewell to Hephaestus, they headed home in good spirits. Hestia was pleased that her friend had been healed, and Alex was glad to have scored a few points with Hephaestus.
To be continued...