"I, Hestia, with this declare that from today onwards, this will be the new base of the Hestia Familia!"
"Oh!!"
Altair, ever the diligent supporter, enthusiastically cheered for Hestia's speech. Although he was the only one cheering in the entire hall, it was enough to make Hestia, standing on a chair, smile with joy. Hephaestus, Takemikazuchi, and Miach, who were standing nearby, clapped happily in response.
"And now, let the Hestia Familia housewarming celebration begin!"
After confirming that the place was indeed excellent, Altair didn't care about the previous murder that had occurred here. In Orario, people died every day, so this was just a minor issue. He immediately took Hestia to meet with the Ganesha Familia, paid for the property, and secured the deed for the place.
Although the Ganesha Familia wasn't the strongest in Orario, it was one of the largest and most prestigious. They not only focused on dungeon exploration but also took charge of maintaining Orario's security, acting as a kind of city patrol. Because of that, they had been holding the deed to this place.
After completing the transaction with Ganesha, the new base officially belonged to the Hestia Familia. Of course, Altair had to empty his savings to get it.
He handed over 95% of the money he'd saved from selling magic stones, leaving just enough for daily expenses. But that wasn't a big deal, a quick trip to the dungeon would replenish his funds. As long as you're willing to put in the work, money will never be an issue!
With the new base secured, Altair, Saeko, and Hestia teamed up to clean and tidy the place, rearranging the furniture they had brought from the basement. Once everything was in order, the celebration began.
Hestia also invited Takemikazuchi, who had shown them the place for free, as well as Miach, who lived just a street away, and Hephaestus, who had come along with them. All three gods joined the celebration.
Since it was their first day in the new base, it didn't make sense to go to the Hostess of Fertility to celebrate. Naturally, the responsibility of preparing the celebratory feast fell on Altair.
While Hestia entertained her divine friends in the living room, Altair worked in the new kitchen with Saeko. Altair was the head chef, and Saeko assisted him. In the Highschool of the Dead world, Saeko had been the one handling cooking duties, but back in this world, the role of the chef fell to Altair.
Altair's unparalleled cooking skills left Saeko in awe, making her happily assist him in the kitchen.
Secretly, Saeko made a vow; as a Busujima, she couldn't let her husband, the Head of the Family, spend so much time in the kitchen. She resolved to improve her cooking skills so that she could eventually take over kitchen duties entirely!
While Altair and Saeko worked tirelessly in the kitchen, Altair prepared the dishes, and Saeko served them to the four gods. In the small Familia base, the gathering of four gods felt like a mini Denatus. Takemikazuchi and Miach were delighted by the feast, and Hestia, as the host, was naturally overjoyed. Only Hephaestus, who appeared to be happy on the surface, couldn't help but glance at Saeko every time she came out with a dish.
Poor Hephaestus had a lot on her mind.
After staying with Hestia and her friends for a while, Hephaestus left them to chat and drink while she sneaked over to the kitchen door, peeking inside to observe.
What Hephaestus saw was Altair preparing food while Saeko stood by his side. From time to time, Saeko would step in to help, or Altair would guide her hand as he taught her the finer points of cooking. It looked like a scene of a loving couple.
"That bastard!"
Hephaestus' grip on the doorframe tightened, leaving indentations on the wooden frame.
In the middle of the street, Altair had dared to hold Saeko's hand right under Hestia's nose, and now, in the new base, he was using the excuse of cooking together to get cozy with her. Did he even care about Hestia at all?
Hephaestus took a deep breath, glanced back to see Hestia still happily chatting with Miach and Takemikazuchi, and then stormed into the kitchen.
"Ahem!"
Hephaestus cleared her throat to announce her presence, causing the intimately close Altair and Saeko to quickly separate.
"Hephaestus-sama, what brings you here?"
Altair was a bit surprised. Why wasn't Hephaestus in the living room, drinking with the others? What was she doing here in the kitchen?
"Why, am I not allowed to be here?"
Hephaestus crossed her arms and let out a cold chuckle as she stepped into the kitchen.
"Altair, I have to admit, in some ways, I admire you."
"Admire me?"
"That's right. In such a short time, you've managed to achieve this… It's really impressive."
Altair was a little confused by her words. From her tone, it sounded like Hephaestus was a bit salty. And judging by the smile on her face, Altair could guess that Hephaestus was probably feeling a bit jealous. This amused him, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"It's nothing. Honestly, I've wanted to do this for a while now, and I just happened to be lucky enough to get the chance."
He wasn't worried about saying the wrong thing. After interacting with Hephaestus several times, Altair knew she was an easy-going goddess. She probably just wanted to vent a little, maybe because Hestia had been showing off outside again.
But Hephaestus froze. What? This guy had wanted to do this for a while? What kind of thoughts did he have when he approached Hestia?
And luck? Yes, indeed, Altair had been incredibly lucky... to be able to pull off sneaky hand-holding behind Hestia's back without her noticing!
"After all, we need to live a good life, right?"
As he said this, Altair glanced at Saeko, who smiled and nodded in agreement. As a member of the Familia, Saeko shared his view.
Damn it, these two! They're even flirting right in front of her! This is outrageous!
Hephaestus desperately wanted to grab her hammer and hit them both, but she couldn't make a scene. She had already decided to keep this secret.
With no other outlet for her frustration, Hephaestus could only force a sinister smile.
"I'm looking forward to your good life. I'll be watching you two closely. Make sure you live happily!"
'If you make Hestia sad, I'll make sure you pay for it!'
After delivering her warning, Hephaestus left the kitchen, leaving Altair and Saeko smiling behind her.
Watching Hephaestus leave, Altair thought back to her parting words and felt a sense of satisfaction.
"Hephaestus is truly a good friend to Hestia."
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