The walk back to "The Hearth's Embrace" was quiet. Bell followed me like a lost puppy, but I could see the change in his posture. He wasn't slouching anymore. He had a Goddess. He had a purpose.
When we entered the tavern, Elara looked up from the bar. She saw the boy, saw the way I was leading him, and her eyes softened. She knew.
"Elara, clear the back room," I commanded. "And get the boy a bowl of the heavy stew. He looks like he hasn't eaten a real meal since he arrived in Orario."
"Right away, Hestia," she said, already moving toward the kitchen.
After Bell had finished two bowls of stew—eating with a desperation that confirmed my suspicions about his finances—I led him to my private quarters above the tavern. It was simple: a bed, a desk, and a large fireplace.
"Strip your shirt and lie face down on the bed, Bell," I said.
He turned bright red. "W-what?! My Lady, I—"
"It's for the Falna, kid. Relax," I said, my soldier's bluntness cutting through his teenage panic. "I can't give you my blessing through your clothes. I need to write the sacred text on your back."
He nodded, trembling slightly, and complied. As he lay there, I sat on the edge of the bed. I bit my finger, drawing a single drop of Ichor—the golden blood of the gods.
As the drop touched his skin, I felt the connection intensify. Being a Goddess was like having a high-speed data link to a person's entire potential. I could see his stats—all zeros. He was a blank slate.
Strength: I-0
Endurance: I-0
Dexterity: I-0
Agility: I-0
Magic: I-0
But then, I saw it. Deep in his soul, a skill was trying to manifest. It was a reaction to his desire, his "longing." In the original story, this was Liaris Freese, the skill that allowed him to grow as long as his feelings remained strong.
But I was different from the original Hestia. I was a soldier. I was a tactician. My divinity was filtered through a mind that understood war.
As I moved my finger across his back, the golden ink flowing from my touch, I didn't just give him the standard blessing. I focused on the "Hearth" aspect of my power—the idea of the "Unbreakable Home."
New Skill Manifesting...
I watched as the text shifted. Liaris Freese was there, but it was being shaped by my own intent.
[Skill: Bastion of the Hearth]
Effect: Increases growth speed based on the strength of the bond with the Goddess. Provides a defensive bonus when fighting to protect the 'Home' or 'Familia'.
I finished the final stroke and blew on the ink to dry it. Bell let out a long, shaky breath. He looked like he had just run a marathon.
"It's done," I said. "You are now the first member of the Hestia Familia."
I handed him a sheet of paper with his stats translated into the common tongue. He stared at it, his eyes wide. "I... I have power now? I can go into the Dungeon?"
"You have the potential for power," I corrected him, standing up and crossing my arms. "The Falna is just a tool. It's like a rifle. It doesn't matter how good the gun is if the soldier behind it is shaking. Tomorrow, we start your training."
"Training? Not the Dungeon?"
I stepped close to him, my blue eyes pinning him in place. "Bell, the Dungeon is a meat grinder. I'm not sending my only follower in there to die because he doesn't know how to hold a knife. You want to be a hero? Heroes aren't born in stories. They are forged in the mud."
I sat him down and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Here is the Commander's Code for this Familia. Rule one: We don't fight for glory. We fight so we can all come back to the hearth at night. Rule two: You never enter the Dungeon without a backup plan. Rule three: You are the heart of this family, and you will carry yourself with the dignity of a Goddess's champion."
Bell nodded, his expression turning serious. He wasn't looking at me like a boy looking at a girl anymore. He was looking at me like a soldier looking at his General.
"I understand, Goddess," he said firmly.
"Good. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, four o'clock. You and I are going to find out exactly what you're made of."
As he left the room, I turned to the window. The city of Orario glittered below, a sea of lights built on top of a mountain of monsters.
I was no longer just a man who had died in a war. I was a Goddess who was starting one. I didn't just have a follower; I had a foundation.
"Watch out, Orario," I whispered to the dark tower of Babel. "The Hearth is lit. And this time, it's never going out."