For Orion, returning to Orario felt like stepping out of a dream that had gone on far too long.
For Hestia, it had only been two days. However, when did time ever put a damper on the goddess of the hearth's enthusiasm?
The moment he pushed open the doors of the small, half-ruined church, he barely had time to register the familiar smell of old wood and candle wax before something small, fast, and furious collided with his chest.
"ORIOOOOON—!"
Besides feeling like he was crashed into by a full baby cow, he felt the familiar softness around him and already knew who this was.
He staggered back a step as Hestia tackled him with surprising force, arms wrapping tightly around his torso, her feet leaving the ground as she clung to him like a lifeline. Her face pressed against his chest, her voice muffled but loud.
"You're awful! Do you know that?! You disappeared! Two whole days! Two days, Orion! I thought you got eaten by a Minotaur or kidnapped by some weird god or—!"
'???'
'Didn't I tell her I might be away for a while?' Orion could have sworn that he did. But seeing the goddess of the hearth clinging to him like a little kid who had finally found her parent back home, he didn't bother mentioning it.
"Hestia," he said softly, instinctively wrapping his arms around her.
For once, he didn't hesitate. Because it might have been just two days for her, but for him, it had been two months. And he really missed this little ball of energy back in the Konosuba world.
Well, he had other troublemakers there, but he'd rather have her over someone like Aqua.
He hugged her back, firm and grounding, resting his chin lightly atop her head. "I'm back," he said. "Sorry for the delay."
She froze for half a second, clearly not expecting him to return the hug so readily, then tightened her grip even more.
"…You better be," she muttered. "I missed you."
[Quite bold of you, Goddess of the Hearth, to wait so eagerly for a follower… of another goddess no less. Truly, that is something.]
And there it was. Orion almost felt like something had been missing.
Instantly, Hestia's face puffed up like a pufferfish, red and angry, glaring at Marika, who had just manifested beside Orion.
"Oh, you're here too. Couldn't have fooled me even if you stayed unseen," she grumbled.
When she finally pulled back, wiping at her eyes with exaggerated annoyance, she puffed out her cheeks. "You owe me. Big time."
"I do?"
"Of course you do. Don't you know how lonely it is here? You were gone for a whole two days. I was so lonely. And food—god, I missed your food. So yes, you owe me big time." She huffed indignantly.
He smiled. "I figured."
Then he dropped the bomb.
"Oh, by the way," he added casually, "I leveled up."
Silence.
Hestia blinked.
"…You what?"
He didn't answer verbally. Instead, he reached into his inventory and produced the status sheet, holding it out to her without ceremony.
She stared at it.
Then back at Orion, who was grinning at her.
Then back to the sheet, staring harder.
Then her jaw dropped.
"…This," she said slowly, "is not a joke."
"Nope."
"You're not messing with me."
"Nope."
"You didn't bribe another god to fake this."
"That's possible! How come you didn't tell me before?!"
"Eh… forget that, that's not important."
She shrieked.
"YOU ACTUALLY LEVELED UP?!"
The church echoed with her voice as she lunged for him again, this time shaking him by the shoulders. "Do you know what this means?! Do you have any idea how insane this is?! You've been here a week! A WEEK!"
He laughed, unable to stop himself. "I noticed."
"Oh, this is awesome! That flat billboard has been flaunting her Sword Princess ever since she broke the fastest leveling record in Orario. She leveled up to Level 2 in just under a year. But this—this isn't just breaking it, you set it on fire.
Oh, I'm so looking forward to seeing her face when I meet her next time. Serves her right." She internally snickered, imagining the kind of face her rival, Loki, would make upon learning how utterly Orion beat her Sword Princess's record.
She hugged him again, spinning them both halfway around.
[You fool, don't go spreading around what my Tarnished has accomplished. You'll bring vultures to him.]
Marika retorted, clearly not letting the kid-sized goddess go on a mouth-rampage throughout the region. Especially not her. If anyone should boast about her Tarnished, it should be her—his real goddess.
Hestia pouted at that, unable to retort since she knew the golden cow was correct. If they knew, the gods of Orario would eye him like hungry hyenas.
Especially that Freya.
Her eyes darted back to the level-up sheet he had handed her. Earlier, she hadn't given it much thought, but now that she was calmer, she noticed the multiple S-999 stats on his sheet before he leveled up.
'Indeed, I can't let that harlot know about him, or else she'll do everything to take him away.' Hestia pursed her lips tightly.
She was naive at times and didn't have much influence in the mortal world, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the cutthroat nature of some of the gods and goddesses of Orario.
Especially three goddesses in Orario—namely Freya, Ishtar, and Loki.
She shook her head wildly, pushing those unpleasant harlots from her mind.
"Okay, okay. You don't have to tell me again. I got it. I won't say anything to anyone." She pouted, then looked back at Orion. "We're celebrating. Right now. Today. No arguments."
"Now?!"
"Yup. There's no way we're not celebrating. You just leveled up. This requires a celebration."
Orion pursed his lips at that, his smile stiffening.
"…About that," Orion said carefully.
She stopped.
Slowly—very slowly—she leaned back and looked up at him.
"What." She had a feeling he wasn't as excited as her.
He scratched his cheek. "I already… kind of asked someone out to dinner."
Her smile vanished.
The temperature dropped like someone had dropped a glacier on top of her.
"…Someone," Hestia repeated sweetly.
"Yes."
Her eyes narrowed into glowing blue slits. "Who."
"My advisor. Miss Eina."
The church shook.
"WHO IS THIS HARLOT?!" Hestia roared, pointing dramatically at the door. "AND WHERE IS SHE HIDING?!"
"Hestia, please lower your voice—"
"YOU'RE NOT EVEN IN MY FAMILIA YET AND YOU'RE ALREADY CHEATING ON ME?!"
'Huh… Does that even make sense? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? In fact, even that doesn't explain how I'm cheating on her…?!' Orion was speechless.
"Let us calm down first, okay." Orion pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's just dinner. As thanks. She helped me when I first came here. I had no money. No place to stay."
Hestia crossed her arms, pouting furiously. "So you repay her with food."
"Yes."
"…Romantic food."
"What is even romantic food?"
"Meaning yes…!"
"No, no… no romantic food."
"…Suspicious food."
"Just food food. Not romantic food, suspicious food, divine food, demonic food, or poisonous food." Orion shook his head left and right.
"Hmm… that last option isn't half bad."
"HESTIA!"
"Beh…" She stuck her tongue out like a child, still pouting.
She glared at him for several long seconds, then turned her head away with a dramatic huff.
'Sigh… women are troublesome, goddess or not.'
He smiled faintly. "Look. I'll take you out too. Properly. Celebration dinner. Just us."
She peeked at him. "Really?"
"Yes."
Her eyes lit up instantly. "With good food?"
"Anything you want, goddess. Anything you want."
"Anything."
"Yes."
[NO]
'Heh…'
[I'll come along as well, you know.]
"What? No fair!" Hestia retorted.
[He's my child.]
That brought another round of pouting from her.
She straightened, flipping her hair with smug satisfaction. "Then fine. You may go. And you—make sure that harlot doesn't do anything to Orion-kun." She said, looking at Marika.
[Hmph. You don't have to tell me.] Marika huffed.
'It's really just a dinner, you know.' Orion sighed harder.
He exhaled in relief. "Thank you."
She jabbed a finger into his chest. "But don't forget. You owe me. Big. And I'm watching you."
"…Can you please not? I want to bathe."
"I don't mind watching." She shrugged.
"NO."
[NO]
xXx
A/N : Man, even small interaction when I wished to make them more impactful and bring out the character's personalities out, took over the entire chapters. Sigh…
I might not always go into everyone's personality this hard, or else the story wouldn't progress no more.
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