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"And who is this?" Mika asked, feigning ignorance as he looked at the petite Goddess who had accompanied Hephaestus.
"This is my friend, Hestia. She's been living in Heaven and hasn't descended to the lower world yet," Hephaestus explained. "However, during our preparations for the God Cloth, I was concerned about potential complications, so I contacted her, asking her to deliver some of my Divine tools from Heaven. She's been staying with my Familia ever since."
"I see..." Mika nodded, finally understanding why Hestia had appeared so early.
In the original story, she had arrived in Orario only a few months before Bell. Now, she was nearly a year early. It was Hephaestus who had brought her here.
"So?" Mika prompted, although he suspected he knew her reason for bringing Hestia.
"I'd like her to join us," Hephaestus said seriously.
As expected... Mika wasn't opposed to the idea; in fact, he was rather intrigued. He had a fondness for Hestia, Bell Cranel's future Goddess.
However, Mika wouldn't simply agree without negotiation.
"And your reason?" He asked, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"The Yahweh Familia alliance could use another God, to expand our ranks," Hephaestus replied.
Mika understood instantly.
The Yahweh Familia alliance, currently comprised of the Yahweh, Astraea, and Hephaestus Familias, was limited in its ability to recruit new members.
The Yahweh Familia itself rarely accepted new members, leaving recruitment to the Astraea and Hephaestus Familias.
However, both had their limitations. The Astraea Familia was all-female, while the Hephaestus Familia focused primarily on blacksmiths, their combat-oriented members mostly recruits Mika had brought from other worlds.
Therefore, to further expand their influence, they needed another Familia, one without such restrictions, focused on dungeon exploration.
"I approve in principle. However, this is a matter for you Gods to discuss amongst yourselves," Mika said, subtly deferring to Yahweh's authority. After all, both Hestia and Hephaestus were now nominally her subordinates.
"If you agree, then Yahweh won't object."
"Thank you, Mika—" Hephaestus said with a smile, then led the still-confused Hestia towards Yahweh's location.
"It seems she's still in the dark, How entertaining," The thought of Hestia joining their alliance amused him, not because he harbored any romantic interest in the Goddess—but because of the implications for the original story's protagonist.
"With Hestia here—Bell's arrival must be imminent." He was rather fond of Bell Cranel, a young man who dreamed of becoming a Hero and possessed the qualities of one.
He was also, in a way, a child of the Zeus and Hera Familias.
If they hadn't been defeated, He and Bell might have even become comrades.
"What a strange twist of fate..." Mika suddenly thought of Alfia.
During his recent power surge, hers had also increased significantly. She had once deemed Bell talentless, a judgment shared by Zeus and Hera themselves.
Therefore, she hadn't bothered mentoring him, leaving him in the care of the Zeus Familia, hoping he would live a peaceful life as an ordinary person. However, fate had other plans.
Bell would arrive in Orario, become an adventurer, and, thanks to his Falna, awaken Liaris Freese, an extraordinary skill that would turn him into a legend.
Alfia would undoubtedly be shocked. Mika was looking forward to seeing her reaction.
"Come, Bell Cranel. My story of heroes needs a protagonist like you," Mika murmured, gazing at the distant sky.
——
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"So, Mika has already agreed... I won't refuse, of course," Yahweh said with a smile, setting down her teacup as she looked at Hephaestus and Hestia.
While she wasn't particularly concerned about the reasons Hephaestus had given—after all, she already had the Astraea and Hephaestus Familias under her control—both filled with promising adventurers, she wouldn't go against Mika's wishes.
Besides, she had been waiting for the right opportunity to expand her alliance.
Hephaestus, sensing this, had spoken with Mika before approaching her.
"We're acquainted, aren't we, Hestia?" Yahweh asked with a smile.
Having spent most of her time in Heaven battling other Gods, she didn't have many friends. Only those she had fought against and respected, like Astraea and Hephaestus, were considered her equals, her companions.
And since Hestia and Hephaestus were old friends, Yahweh was, by extension, acquainted with Hestia.
"Of course," Hestia replied quickly.
Hephaestus had warned her to be on her best behavior. She was tired of Hestia's lack of ambition and had decided it was time for her to establish her own Familia, to take responsibility for her own life.
And the Yahweh Familia, a rising power in Orario, offered the perfect opportunity.
With their support, even Hestia couldn't fail.
As long as she put in a little effort, her future was secure.
She had warned Hestia that if she couldn't convince Yahweh, she would be sleeping on the streets.
"I imagine you're still unaware of the true nature of the Yahweh Familia alliance," Yahweh said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Are you certain you want to join us? Once I explain—there's no going back." She wanted to see Hestia's reaction.
Hestia's eyes widened slightly, and she glanced nervously at Hephaestus, who remained impassive, offering no support. She turned back to Yahweh, sensing a sudden shift in the atmosphere, a subtle danger. She had a feeling that agreeing to this would drastically change her life.
Whether for better or worse, Hestia couldn't be sure, but she trusted Hephaestus. After all, their friendship spanned millennia.
"Welcome to the Yahweh Familia alliance, Hestia," Yahweh said with a smile. "I'll explain everything shortly."
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Hestia stumbled out of Yahweh's study, her mind reeling. If not for Hephaestus guiding her, she would have walked into a wall.
"Hephaestus, is it...true? Can we really travel to other worlds?" she asked, once they were back at the Hephaestus Familia home.
"Of course it's true. I've been to another world myself—" Hephaestus replied matter-of-factly.
"You have?! When can I go?"
"You'll have to wait. This is a crucial time. Our priority is Mika's ascension to Godhood. His success will determine our future."
"Ascension to Godhood...?" Hestia recalled Yahweh and Hephaestus's earlier words and nodded slowly.
Hestia wasn't foolish. She was, in fact, quite intelligent, though she rarely...applied herself. Her millennia-long existence had dulled her ambition, her life becoming a monotonous cycle of...well, not much. She had grown weary of planning and strategizing.
But now, her mind was awakening, her drive returning.
"It seems my first task is to manage my Familia properly," Hestia mused.
——
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Time passed quickly, and while Mika slumbered, Orario continued to change.
After Hestia established her Familia, the adventurers Mika had brought from other worlds, previously affiliated with the Hephaestus Familia, transferred to her Familia, along with a few others inspired by their tales. Hephaestus didn't mind.
The bond between their Familias was far deeper than most realized. If not for the need to maintain appearances, there wouldn't be separate Astraea, Hephaestus, and Hestia Familias, only the all-encompassing Yahweh Familia.
This close relationship made transferring between their ranks a simple matter, though it was usually between the exploration and crafting Familias. After all, adventurers often grew tired of their chosen paths, seeking new experiences.
Transfers between exploration-focused Familias, however, were still rare.
Thanks to these new additions, the Hestia Familia's reputation grew.
Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu weren't average adventurers.
They were heroes from another world, their skills quickly earning them recognition, and Tanjiro had even been appointed as the Familia's captain.
However, besides these otherworldly additions and the transfers from the Hephaestus Familia, Hestia hadn't recruited any new members.
She had been busy studying the management techniques and knowledge of other worlds Yahweh had shared. She was also waiting for the right feeling. Hestia believed her first, personally recruited member had to be special, someone she connected with.
Neither Mika nor Yahweh pressured her. He was waiting for a certain someone to arrive, while she simply didn't care.
And so they waited.
Until one fateful encounter.
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Bell Cranel—an ordinary boy from a rural village, raised on tales of heroes and their adventures in the dungeon—had always dreamed of becoming an adventurer.
One day, after his grandfather's sudden "death," he had journeyed to Orario to fulfill his dream, having trained for years, honing his body and training the Breath Styles and Enhancement Techniques Mika had introduced to the world through the Guild.
However, he seemed to lack any real talent.
Despite years of practice, his progress had been minimal, though still enough to surpass average adults in terms of strength, even at his young age of fourteen.
Filled with hope and anticipation, he arrived in Orario.
Bell was captivated by the bustling city, its sights and sounds far beyond anything he had ever experienced. And so, distracted, he collided with someone at a street corner.
"Oof!"
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He asked, quickly apologizing.
Hestia, who had been reading while walking, was about to scold him, then, seeing his earnest apology and his youthful, innocent face, she softened. Just as she was about to say it was alright, she felt it—a spark, a connection.
She immediately decided: He would be her first Familia member.
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