It is said that the first god descended to our world at least a thousand years ago. Later, other gods, who said that heaven was too boring for their eternal lives, decided to descend to Genkai, our world. Apparently, they found enough entertainment and prosperity in the culture of humans, whom they saw as children, to satisfy their appetite for fun.
For the gods, bored with monotony, this world was full of interesting things. The so-called "lower world" was much more exciting to them than their own paradise.
At least, it was exciting enough that many of them decided to stay, even though they had not been here long.
Likewise, the humans of that time did not object or show dissatisfaction. On the contrary, when they received God's Grace, they welcomed them with open arms, seeing it as a new way to survive. The gods created the Familia, a group in which humans gained power in exchange for entertaining their gods.
Though, if you ask me, in reality the relationship seemed to be more one of master and servant than anything else, no matter how much they called their followers "Familia" in the current structure of society.
Over time, these Familias were consolidated. Even the weaker gods managed to attract followers who craved divine grace. No one could blame them. If you wanted power, fame, money, and even women, the answer that would lead you to that result was "Join a familia, dare to venture, and laugh at death."
However, not all gods were equally successful. There were those who were not yet accustomed to life here, or did not fully understand the depths of the children's culture and customs.
The goddess before me, Hestia, was a clear example of this. Despite her cheerful and energetic appearance, she was a goddess new to the lower world and unfamiliar with our way of life. Naturally, no one was willing to join her family, the Hestia Familia. After all, who would trust a deity who barely understood how things worked down here?
But that wasn't really Hestia's fault. Sometimes I thought that adventurers forgot that they themselves started from the same place. The point was that no matter how weak or inexperienced the god who bestowed they Grace was, the adventurer suffered no loss. Grace was grace. Period. What really mattered was what you did with it.
So every time I heard those wannabe heroes say they didn't join a Familia because their god had no experience or power, I wanted to slap them. It was a pretty lame excuse. Maybe what they really wanted was solid financial backing, and a god with a good cushion of gold assured them of a more stable future. It wasn't so much about lack of experience, but lack of wealth.
As for Hestia, though cute as a pet and warm as a fireplace flame in the dead of winter, her financial situation was no better than that of a parent with empty pockets.
After being kicked to the curb by her friend―although "kicked to the curb" sounded a bit dramatic―Hestia had been living in this dilapidated church for the past month. And while I don't know all the details, I have a sneaking suspicion that this same friend was the one who got her this place before her patience ran out. Something along the lines of, "Here's a roof over your head, but no more favors."
***
"Ugugu...~"
Hestia clung to me as if I were a fluffy pillow that provider her all the comfort the world had denied her so far. After that hug of a koala hanging from a tree, we were now on the couch, a couch that was as hard as a plank, but felt a little softer lately; though that was probably from the feeling of having a goddess sitting on my lap.
'Umu. Her breasts are big, and her butt is soft too.'
"Ahh! How is it possible that someone as adorable as me has to go through so many hardships in life? Don't you think it should be easier for such a divine goddess?"
Adorable was a strong word to describe herself, but this was not the time to correct her. To be honest, I didn't know what to say. Hestia was a goddess, yes, but she was also a bit of a clumsy, adorably impulsive and, so far, unlucky goddess. But in a way, that made her more human, more real than any of the gods strutting around the city.
I wanted to shut up, but her big blue eyes looked at me with such desperation that I felt a pang in my chest. I sighed and finally gave in.
"Well... life is like that, isn't it? It's not always fair, but that doesn't mean you should give up. In the end, the problems you're facing now will only make you feel more valuable when things get better. I mean... after all, the hard times are what make the happy times worthwhile. Wouldn't that be good for a future together? And don't forget that I'll always be by your side."
"Fueh..."
Hestia lifted her head from my chest and looked at me those surprised cat eyes. A spark appeared in them and suddenly I noticed that the atmosphere changed slightly. I didn't know how, but it seemed as if I had said something important without realizing it.
She looked at me intensely. That look she used when she was trying to distinguish between lies and truths. I don't know what the result of her observation was, but she suddenly blushed. Her cheeks flushed red and a nervous chuckle escaped her lips. Wait, what just happened?
She hid her face. I felt her tense, and then her hot breath caressed my neck. She turned her face away from my chest just enough to look into my eyes with that shy expression.
"Ei-kun... Th-those words... did you...?"
Uh... oh. Something wasn't right here. What exactly had I said?
"Is... is this a... is this a... a proposal...?"
There was a twinkle in her eye that made my hair stand on end. The kind of twinkle that said, "No, seriously, are you proposing to me?"
A second of awkward silence stretched between us. My blood froze for an instant as my mind tried to process what I had just heard. She couldn't possibly have interpreted my words that way, right?!
"No, no! I didn't mean that... or well, yes, but not in that way... It's not that I don't want to, but..."
Marriage. How had she come to this conclusion so quickly? I hadn't said anything remotely close to that!
"Fuehehehe... a future together..."
She had blushed even more, covering her mouth with a hand as a foolishly charming giggle escaped her. Hestia was already on another planet, completely in her fantasy world. It was too late to even try to explain, and I feared that if I continued, my words would fall on deaf ears.
Hestia continued to laugh for a moment longer before finally stopping. With her cheeks still burning, she hugged me tighter and lifted her head to look at me with pleading eyes.
"So, since I am your future wife, you should pamper me a little, right? My mood won't improve if you don't show me some affection..."
"Pamper you? huh...?"
She nodded, puffing out her cheeks in an adorably childish way.
"Yes! Pamper me. My morale is at rock bottom! It can't be that my future husband would leave me in this state, hum?"
I sighed, partly in disbelief, partly amused at how she had made up the movie in her head. Probably any attempt at clarification would only make it worse. At least she didn't seem to be upset.
Still, it was impossible not to feel sorry for her. Hestia really had been through a lot, and even if she had misunderstood my words, the fact that she saw me as a support made her trust me.
We only met yesterday... Can't you be more defensive with me? Maybe I have hidden intentions in approaching you, you know?
Resigned, I raised a hand and stroked her hair. It's incredibly soft; it looked like silk. Hestia didn't say anything, she just let out a soft sigh of contentment and seemed to relax completely in my arms, melting like butter under the sunlight.
"Ahhh~ Ei-kun..."
"Is this okay?"
"A little more..." she murmured and cuddled even more into my lap. It seemed like she didn't need much to feel better.
I had to admit, it was quite satisfying to be able to affect her like that with so little. I probably would have continued if I hadn't felt something stirring in my pants. I leaned back on the couch and tried to get it down, but it seemed Hestia had no intention of stopping anytime soon.
At least her mind was elsewhere. She didn't seem to realize what was going on.
"I want to stay like this for the rest of my life."
My hand froze for a second before I continued with a smile on my face.
I agree with you, but is this really our destiny?
It's a pity. I wish I could grant your wishes...
The goddess laughed merrilly.
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Dear Isis and sister,
Heaven and earth are meeting and I am in the middle. I dream of greatness as the hourglass keeps ticking, can a grain of sand become a star? Try as I might, it seems a distant dream, even with the help of my system.
But I cannot give up. Every day that passes is a step closer to that goal. The impossible has been possible before, even before I came here, hasn't it? Maybe the answer is right in front of me.
Until we meet again, I will continue to search.
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