Lioro handed 2 million valis worth of magic crystals to the smiling old man with a head full of neatly comedy white hair and a beard.
"Haha, pleasure doing business with you."
God Dian Cecht accepted the magic crystal with a big smile on his face, touching his beard he asked Lioro.
"Are you sure about not changing familia? Although I can't compare with Loki and Freya but compared to Hestia--"
"Please don't joke god, we love our goddess and have sworn to serve her for the rest of our lives."
Lioro replied with a devoted expression on his face.
Dian Cecht gave him a weird look.
Because he could tell Lioro was lying.
All gods possessed the innate ability to distinguish the lies of the children from the lower world.
And this was a well-known fact.
"Then we will be on our way God."
Holding the house deed in his hand, Lioro bowed politely to Dian then turned around to leave.
Yoriichi followed behind him.
Dian Cecht looked at their retreating backs with a disappointed look in his eyes.
Thinking something he opened his mouth and said.
"If you need any potion then feel free to come to my familia, I'll give you a discount."
Lioro suddenly stopped.
Then he turned around and walked back, standing in front of the confused Dian Cecht he asked.
"Do you have mana recovery potions?"
"Of course we do."
Dian Cecht nodded and waved at them.
Lioro and Yoriichi followed him inside his shop.
After some time Lioro walked out with Yoriichi behind him, carrying a big wooden box in his arms.
Lioro stirred the potion bottles inside his hand, carefully looking at the bluish-green liquid inside, Lioro opened up its corp and placed a drop in his mouth.
As the liquid entered his mouth, Lioro felt the mana contained inside the liquid.
His sub-class Genius(Alchemist) started working, deciphering the contents of the potion.
In no time the recipe of tier 1 mana recovery potion appeared in his mind.
Smiling in satisfaction, Lioro placed the bottle inside his prop box.
Then along with Yoriichi who kept looking down at the box of potion in his arms, they came in front of their new house.
Opening up the fence door using a metallic key, Lioro, and Yoriichi stepped foot inside their new house.
"Aren't you feeling excited?"
Lioro smiled and looked at Yoriichi.
Yoriichi returned him a blank look.
Oh, it's the infamous poker face.
Barely suppressing the corners of his mouth from twitching, Lioro walked up to the wooden door and entered the place.
Yoriichi slowly followed behind him, his eyes moving around, looking at the place in curiosity.
Well, it was mostly empty except for the plain beds and tables inside some rooms.
It seems they will need to buy furniture as well.
Walking up the stairs, Yoriichi stopped.
His eyes fixed on the empty hall.
Looking at the place, a distant memory passed through his mind.
The image of two couples, sitting in an empty house, talking continuously about random things.
Well, it was mostly the woman who was talking and the man listening.
The memory flashed past as quickly as it came.
Hearing Lioro calling him, Yoriichi moved his legs.
----
After locking the house, Lioro and Yoriichi made their way back to the abandoned church.
Climbing down the underground stairs, Lioro told Hestia the good news.
Hestia was so surprised she couldn't believe her ears.
"You just went out and you bought a new home???"
With shining eyes, Hestia followed Lioro and Yoriichi back to their new house.
Looking at the two-story building with a small fence around it, Hestia started shaking.
Then without any warning, she jumped in excitement, shouting loudly.
"It's great! I love it!"
She jumped straight into Lioro's arms who naturally received her.
Feeling her soft chest pressing against him, Lioro smiled.
Yoriichi on the side was about to turn his head away when he stopped.
He saw Lioro and Hestia extending their hands toward him.
Looking at the bright smiles on their faces.
Yoriichi instinctively grabbed their hands.
Then without any warning he was pulled close, with the three of them holding each other's hands, they started jumping around in a circle under Hestia's lead.
For a moment, Yoriichi's world slowed down.
His gaze lingered on Lioro and Hestia.
Looking at their immature and innocent face he couldn't help but think.
Would his child, if alive? Be like them?
Smiling for the smallest of things?
Unknowingly a small trail of tear slid down Yoriichi's face, and his mouth curled up to form a small smile.
His new family.
Didn't seem so bad.
Meanwhile, the onlookers were looking at the three of them like a group of crazy people.
A grown-ass man and two children holding each other's hands and playing ring around the roses?
What the hell was wrong with them?
----
Holy shit that was embarrassing.
Lioro shouted in his mind.
It was all because of Hestia! Her damn chest affected his thinking!
Releasing a breath to calm his emotion, Lioro looked at Hestia and Yoriichi before saying.
"Let's go to the market."
The house was too empty, except for the bed, they didn't even have a pillow to sleep on.
"Oh oh! Are we going shopping?"
Hestia asked with stars in her eyes.
"Yes, we are."
"Yeah! Let's go! Let's go!"
The three of them made their way to the shopping district.
Because of their distinct and unique appearances, people around couldn't help but give them a second look.
Taking out forty thousand valis, Lioro handed it to Yoriichi.
Yoriichi looked at the money in confusion.
"It will be faster to buy things separately. Look around and take what you need for your room."
Lioro said while looking at the setting sun in the distance.
There wasn't enough time for them to go to each place together, it would take too much time.
And since they were buying things for their rooms, it would make sense to go alone.
"No! I want to go with Lioro!"
Hestia instantly protested and grabbed his arm.
Feeling her soft chest, Lioro nodded his head.
"Alright, you can come along."
Lioro turned ti Yoriichi.
"What about you?"
Yoriichi shook his head.
"I don't really need anything---"
Yoriichi's words came to a sudden stop.
He saw it again, in the distance, that boy with familiar white hair.
"Something caught your eye? Don't think about saving money and buy it."
Lioro waved his hand and walked away with Hestia.
Yoriichi hesitantly stood in place, his gaze moving from Lioro to that unknown boy.
Seeing Lioro's retreating back, Yoriichi made up his mind and turned towards the unknown boy.
Making his way through the crowd, Yoriichi moved his legs.
From the distance, he saw the boy being pushed back by a big man.
Yoriichi narrowed his eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Come back when you're stronger!"
"Please give me a chance!"
"Tsk go away kid....."
"Please!"
"You....."
The man's face turned dark, raising his hand he sent a light punch towards the boy to teach him a lesson.
The boy looked at the approaching punch in fear.
It was too fast, he couldn't move away in time.
Just as the punch was about to hit his face.
A hand came from the side, blocking it, easily stopping it in place.
The boy's eyes shook in surprise.
Slowly turning his head the calm face of a handsome man entered his vision.
His eyes couldn't help but look at the mark extending from the man's forehead.
The mark for a warrior.
"Is this any way to treat a child?"
Yoriichi asked in a calm voice, staring straight at the so-called big man who was half a head shorter than him.
"Who---."
The man was just about to lash out when he stopped.
Looking at Yoriichi's crystal-clear eyes.
Made him gulp involuntarily.
Unconsciously he tried to pull his hand back.
But no matter how much he pulled.
He couldn't get his hand out of Yoriichi's grip.
The difference was clear.
The man knew.
That he had hit a rock wall.
Lowering his tone he said in a hurry
"Sir it wasn't my fault...this kid just kept pestering me....."
Yoriichi glanced at the nervous boy.
His eyes were red different from Lioro's blue ones.
It seems he was overthinking after all.
Yoriichi looked back at the man.
"Still it doesn't mean you can hit a child."
"I-I understand! I will keep it in mind!...."
Seeing him apologizing, Yoriichi released his hand.
The man hurriedly thanked Yoriichi and then closed the wooden door.
Yoriichi turned towards the boy and asked.
"Are you alright?"
"T-thank you."
"....Um...my name is Bell..."
Bell said in a small voice, his eyes looking curiously at Yoriichi's warrior mark.
"My name is Yoriichi, from the Hestia Familia, please be at ease."
Yoriichi said politely.
"Hestia familia...."
Bell repeated unconsciously.
'It must be a powerful familia...'
Bell thought in his mind, looking at Yoriichi's dignified appearance.
'He will probably reject me even if I ask.....'
Bell lowered his gaze involuntarily.
Through the past few days, he has been rejected by many familia's.
Not a single one of them gave him a chance.
Saying that he looked too weak and pathetic.
With a sad smile on his face, Bell bowed towards Yoriichi and said.
"Thank you for your help, I will take my leave then....."
Turning around he started walking away.
Looking at Bell's lonely back, Yoriichi was about to call out to him when suddenly he felt someone grab his clothes.
'Hm?'
Turning around in confusion, Yoriichi looked at the cloaked figure holding his haori.
Because of the cloak covering the head, Yoriichi couldn't clearly see the face of the person.
"Can you let go?..."
Yoriichi asked in a soft voice, glancing at Bell who was going away.
If he didn't hurry the boy would go away again.
Instead of letting go of him, the cloaked figure raised her head making a handful of long silver hair fall down.
Her face appeared in Yoriichi's vision.
It was a woman.
Unlike any he had seen before.
Yoriichi looked at her with calm eyes.
Seeing his unchanging expression, the woman's silver eyes flashed purple before she smiled and said slowly.
"Can you....tell me your name?...."
----
"Hestia, have you found anything yet?"
"Wait! Let me check that shop!"
"Sigh, that's the 9th one already....."
"What did you say?!"
"Nothing....."
"Hmph!"