Chapter 5: Working Part-Time is Impossible!
Tower of Babel, also known as the Tower Reaching Heaven, the legendary tower capable of communicating with Heaven.
Whether one could actually enter Heaven through Tower of Babel, Luke didn't know.
But at this moment before his eyes, this cylindrical building piercing straight into the clouds indeed possessed a height that inspired awe.
"Luke-kun, you came from out of town, so you might not know, but it's precisely this Tower of Babel that connects the gods of Heaven and mortals."
One hand holding Luke's, Hestia explained the common knowledge of Orario Labyrinth City to him while walking towards the entrance of Tower of Babel.
"Haa—"
Sporting faint dark circles under his eyes, Luke yawned.
Hestia had woken him from the sofa before dawn this morning.
After gulping down a bellyful of cold water for breakfast, they had set out in the first light of dawn, walking from the poor district to the base of Tower of Babel.
Although Luke didn't mind getting up early, getting up *this* early, with not even a single person visible on the streets now, could they really find any shops open for business later?
Luke was highly skeptical.
But seeing Hestia's energetic appearance, he ultimately said nothing.
Shaking his head, which felt somewhat groggy from lack of sleep, he silently followed this energetic loli goddess into Tower of Babel.
It had to be said, as the iconic landmark building of the Labyrinth City, the design of this Tower of Babel could definitely be described as grand and majestic.
Different from how it appeared in the anime, only after truly entering Tower of Babel could one feel just how enormous this building was—just a random archway at the entrance was nearly three meters tall.
And standing on the first floor of Tower of Babel, looking around, the rest platform paved with golden glazed tiles was easily the size of three or four football fields.
Dozens of jade pillars supporting the tower stood on the platform, each requiring more than ten people to encircle with their arms.
"How is it? Spectacular, right?"
Standing beside Luke, Hestia satisfyingly took in his astonished expression, then proudly puffed out her chest, saying smugly, "This Tower of Babel was a structure we gods discussed for a long time in Heaven before finalizing it."
"It certainly is spectacular..."
Gazing up at the portraits of gods depicted on the first-floor dome, Luke changed the subject, "But wasn't Tower of Babel built by mortals?"
"It... Wait, Luke-kun, how did you know?" Hestia looked at Luke with surprise, somewhat astonished.
Although the construction process of Tower of Babel wasn't exactly a secret, for Luke, someone who came from outside Orario, to state Tower of Babel's origin so casually seemed somewhat abnormal.
Realizing he had let something slip again, Luke forced a couple of laughs and waved his hand, "I just heard some rumors, hearsay..."
"Really just hearsay?"
Her pale blue eyes fixed on Luke, staring until his back felt somewhat prickly, Hestia finally averted her gaze, puffing her cheeks slightly angrily, "Forget it, forget it, even if I ask, you won't say... It was the same last night. Looks like Luke-kun has more secrets than I, a god, do!"
"Kami-sama, please stop teasing me..."
Seeing Hestia didn't pursue the matter further, Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
His gaze continued to sweep around inside the Tower of Babel, but his mouth remained tightly shut, lest he accidentally leak something else.
Seeing Luke had stopped talking, Hestia rolled her eyes, then began answering his previous question on her own.
"The construction work of Tower of Babel was indeed completed by the mortals of the lower world, but the ones who initially proposed this architectural plan were actually the gods residing in Heaven. That is to say, the entire construction of Tower of Babel was carried out under the direction of the gods. So, on the very top floor of this Tower of Babel, reside the gods..."
As she spoke, Hestia led Luke towards the lift platform, continuing, "And below the top-floor residence of gods is the Guild established by Orario's administrators, responsible for registering and managing Familias and adventurers. Further down are various merchants and shops. Operators need to pay rent to the Guild regularly at fixed times. However, being able to own a shop in the Tower of Babel is probably worth the value."
Silently listening to Hestia's words, he followed her onto the lift platform.
Unsure of the exact transmission principle, the lift platform immediately started moving upon sensing passengers, rising upwards at a steady pace, soon reaching the target floor.
A moment later, stepping off the lift platform, Luke was surprised to find that the shops on both sides of the passage were actually open, with light shining out from within, clearly open for business.
Don't these merchants need rest?
Seemingly noticing Luke's confusion, Hestia proactively explained, "These shops never close. They continue operating at night to facilitate adventurers challenging the Dungeon overnight to replace supplies and equipment. So, the staff are generally divided into two shifts, rotating between day and night."
"I see..."
Nodding in understanding, Luke suddenly asked, "But how does Kami-sama know so clearly? You shouldn't need to enter the Dungeon, right? And you didn't have other Familia members before."
Hearing Luke's question, the smile on Hestia's face stiffened.
Then, lowering her head somewhat embarrassedly, she said, "I... um, when times were tough before, I worked part-time here..."
Now that Hestia mentioned it, he recalled that the original anime did mention Hestia working part-time.
A bright smile appeared on his face as he comforted her, "Rest assured, Kami-sama. With me in your Familia, I definitely won't let you live such hard days anymore."
"Luke-kun!"
Looking movedly at the black-haired man who had readily made the promise, tears welled up in Hestia's eyes.
"Indeed, letting Luke-kun join my Familia was truly the right decision!"
Just a single comforting sentence made Hestia so moved she was about to cry.
Luke found it hard to imagine what kind of life she had lived before.
Being a god and being poor to such an extent, Hestia was truly one of a kind.
No wonder she couldn't find anyone to join her Familia.
With such a huge poverty aura, it would be strange if anyone was willing to suffer with her.
Well, except for the white-haired boy Bell.
After all, he was also an incredibly naive fellow...
And because Luke had unexpectedly uttered words with critical hits towards women, Hestia, in her moved state, held his hand and continued walking through various shops selling weapons and armor.
"I must, absolutely must pick out the top-tier weapon for Luke-kun!"
"But even if Kami-sama says so..."
It wasn't that he wanted to dampen Hestia's enthusiasm, but just thinking about their poverty made him worry about what kind of weapon he could actually afford.
"What's this? Luke-kun, you underestimate me too much!"
"Ah, no... Ow ow ow ow ow ow!"
Seeing Luke's doubtful expression, Hestia's eyebrows shot up.
Stretching out her slender, fair arm, she slapped him hard on the back.
"Never underestimate the value represented by the name of a true god, Luke-kun. Anyway, just look forward to it!"
"Yes, Kami-sama..."
In light of the slap just now, Luke wisely didn't show any more doubt this time, nodding obediently and following behind his goddess.
Considering their builds, Luke, at 176cm, was a good head and a half taller than Hestia, yet being led by her felt quite awkward.
But Hestia clearly didn't think so.
Her slender, delicate fingers gently held his slightly rough large hand, leading him past shops with increasingly luxurious decorations, continuing deeper inside.
"Um... Kami-sama... Is this really okay?"
While passing an ultra-luxurious shop with display cabinets made of pure purple transparent glass, Luke casually glanced inside and saw a bright red spear displayed on a weapon rack in the center, along with a long string of zeros on the price tag below it.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands... eighty million...
To be precise, it should be eighty-seven million four hundred thousand!
Although he wasn't sure about the purchasing power of currency in Orario, just looking at this long string of eye-blurring numbers made him feel dizzy.
Such a high price, even selling himself wouldn't be enough, right?!
Moreover, having walked this far, Luke had figured it out: the closer the shops were to the lift platform, the lower their prices, while the deeper one went, the prices increased geometrically.
And Hestia was still heading further inside!
Is a true god's name really that valuable?
Or is Hestia just puffing up her chest to look good?
Thinking this, Luke couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead, smiling bitterly.
"Alright, this is it. Luke-kun, let's go in!"
After walking with him for a while longer, Hestia stopped in front of a shop at the very end of this floor.
No, calling it a shop seemed inaccurate, because this far surpassed the scale of a mere shop.
It was a structure formed by four large shops interconnected by breaking down walls, integrated into one entity.
Above, hung a shop sign made of some unknown deep black stone material.
Hephaestus Familia Specialty Store!
"This... is really bad, isn't it..."
Tilting his head back to stare at the shop's name, Luke swallowed hard, suddenly grabbing Hestia's arm in a reverse grip, wanting to turn and leave.
"Kami-sama, although I understand you don't want me to look down on our Familia, places like this are better just looked at from afar. Going inside will definitely lead to embarrassment!"
Just looking without buying, that kind of bumpkin behavior will definitely be looked down upon by the staff!
Being dragged back by Luke, Hestia also struggled forcefully.
"What are you talking about? Let go! Let go, Luke-kun!"
"Not letting go! I refuse to be embarrassed in public! Please, Kami-sama, come back with me!"
"Ouch! Let go of me, hurry up and let go, Luke! Do you distrust me that much?"
"No, this isn't about trust anymore, it's about losing face! Even if my face doesn't matter, you're a god, Kami-sama. You should at least consider your dignity!"
"So you still don't trust me?"
"...I'm sorry, Kami-sama. I really can't find a reason to trust you!"
"Oh ho! Daring to speak to a goddess like that, let me tell you, Luke, I'm getting a little angry!"
"Even if you're angry, no!"
"Are you letting go or not?!"
"No!"
"Letting go?!"
"Said no means no!"
...
As Luke and Hestia argued, time passed bit by bit, and figures of adventurers gradually began to appear around them.
Seeing the commotion here, they couldn't help but perk up their ears, various strange gazes glancing over.
Ultimately, unable to bear the shame of being watched by a crowd in such a public place, Luke chose to compromise, proactively releasing Hestia's hand.
"Hmm? Didn't you say 'said no means no'?"
Seeing Luke yield, Hestia crossed her arms, puffed out her chest—causing a wave of turbulence—then turned her head away haughtily, saying unkindly, "Luke-kun is really something else. Just joined the Familia on the first day and already disobeying me!"
"..."
Choked by Hestia's words, Luke raised his hand and ruffled his hair messily, relieving some frustration.
Then, his whole body seemed to deflate like a popped balloon as he decisively lowered his head and admitted fault, "I'm sorry, Kami-sama, I was wrong."
"Hmph, don't think I'll forgive you easily just because you apologized!"
Still turning her head away haughtily, Hestia's lips were already twitching slightly, probably finding it hard to suppress her laughter.
Then, she turned and walked towards the Hephaestus Familia Specialty Store, her cute black twin tails bouncing back and forth elastically, looking endearing.
"If you want me to forgive your previous disrespectful behavior, then work twice as hard in the future to show me your sincerity! Now, follow me inside."
Watching Hestia's figure walk step by step towards the money pit, Luke opened his mouth but said nothing.
In the end, he could only lower his head and catch up, entering the Hephaestus Familia Specialty Store with a feeling of trepidation.
"Welcome! Esteemed Adventurer-sama!"
Just as they entered the main door, passing through the entrance, two petite and cute rabbit-eared girls standing on the left and right bowed low in greeting.
"Mm, I've brought my child here to buy some armor and weapons. Please call your shopkeeper over."
Nodding slightly to the two rabbit-eared girls, when Hestia spoke, her face no longer wore the usual silly, optimistic smile, but was replaced by a serious and solemn expression.
Standing beside Hestia, Luke saw the expression she revealed at this moment and felt slightly surprised inwardly.
As expected of a god who has lived through long ages, this temperament is truly something else...
A moment later, under the notification of the rabbit-eared girl, a mature woman wearing thin-framed gold-rimmed glasses walked out from the shop interior, holding a green crystal ball about the size of a basketball.
"Kami-sama's esteemed presence truly brightens our humble shop! May I ask if Kami-sama has any requirements for the weapons and armor to be selected?"
"Requirements..."
Casually swiping her hand over the crystal ball held by the mature woman, leaving behind her divine seal, Hestia turned to Luke and asked, "What kind of weapons and armor do you want to buy?"
"Uh... For the weapon, a regular one-handed sword will do. As for armor..."
Recalling Kirito's history of looking cool, Luke shook his head, "Excessive armor might reduce my agility, so it's not necessary. But if possible, I'd like to buy a black wind coat, preferably with some physical concealment function, or something that can mask my presence... Right, the sword should be black too!"
The Coat of Midnight + Elucidator, Kirito's Black Swordsman outfit has coolness levels off the charts!
"Understood. Please wait a moment, Kami-sama and this esteemed customer. I will go prepare them immediately."
After hearing Luke's requirements, the mature woman nodded, carefully holding the crystal containing Hestia's divine seal, and slowly retreated.
"...That's it?"
Watching the mature woman leave, Luke suddenly felt a bit of a stomachache.
Is a god's reputation really that useful?
Then why was Hestia living in the basement of a ruined church, living such a tight, impoverished life?
"Hmph, do you think the identity of a true goddess is that insignificant?"
Seeing Luke's shocked expression, Hestia scoffed dismissively, "Just based on the divine seal I left behind just now, buying all the weapons and armor here wouldn't be a problem."
This wasn't Hestia boasting.
After all, gods and mortals were different.
A god's divine seal largely represented that god's creditworthiness.
With Hestia's status, she could completely buy out this weapon shop belonging to Hephaestus, without spending a single Valis.
However, the price would be that her relationship with Hephaestus would likely be completely severed thereafter.
It was like using a credit card.
If, after leaving the divine seal, the required payment wasn't made promptly, that individual's credit card and bank account would be frozen.
So, Hestia's action at this moment was essentially using her credibility as a god to pre-purchase weapons for Luke.
Although she didn't have to pay a single cent now, she would still have to find ways to earn money later to pay back the original price of these items.
Otherwise, the divine seal she left in this shop would remain, potentially even ending up in Hephaestus's hands.
At that point, if she still couldn't produce the money to repay the debt, she would become the laughingstock of the gods.
This was also why the mature woman treated the crystal ball so carefully.
A crystal ball storing a god's divine seal, its value was largely equivalent to the god's own credibility.
Most importantly, for a mortal to be able to touch the mark left by a god was itself an immense honor.
So, from the mature woman's perspective, she was somewhat grateful to Luke.
Although the mature woman understood the value of a divine seal well, Luke was completely ignorant of this, merely thinking that a god's status was incredibly convenient, allowing one to eat and take things for free just by leaving a mark.
Hestia didn't explain Luke's misunderstanding.
She simply watched this child—the first to join her Familia and promise her a better life—with gentle eyes.
You must strive to become strong, Luke-kun!
Otherwise, the debt I'm carrying... working for Hephaestus for a hundred... no, two hundred years might not be enough to repay it!
(PS: I'm hesitant whether to continue with this project, so I'd appreciate if you show you support below ^^)
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