The room we were led into had the cozy but sharp ambiance of someone who lived in fire and metal. It was surprisingly warm—maybe magically controlled, or maybe just natural heat from the forge side of the building—but it wasn't uncomfortable. Just present. Like a constant, subtle reminder of who this place belonged to.
Seated at a large desk neatly littered with blueprints, parchment, strange metallic parts, and tools that looked half magical, half mechanical, was the woman herself.
Hephaestus.
The Goddess of the Forge. The creator of countless weapons and armors, not to mention the benefactor of one of the most powerful Familias in all of Orario.
Her vibrant red short hair was impossible to miss, tied in a loose ponytail that draped over her back. Just as eye-catching was the snug white top she wore—part of an outfit that straddled the line between casual and practical workwear—though it left a rather generous view of her cleavage on display. My gaze dipped for a fraction too long before I caught myself and redirected it to her face—or more accurately, her eye.
She wore a black eye-patch over her right eye, and her left one, sharp and crimson, gleamed with a droopy deadpan but also quiet intelligence that matched her reputation.
Hephaestus was, in a word, attractive. But not in the same way Hestia was. Hestia was cute, warm, and cuddly. Hephaestus? She had that competent, dependable older sister vibe—like she could forge a sword while scolding you for forgetting your lunch.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a thing or two looking at her, but I kept it to myself, not wanting to show disrespect to one of the most popular and powerful Goddess in Orario.
She looked up at Hestia like a tired older sister catching her troublemaking sibling sneaking snacks.
"Hestia."
She said with a flat tone. But her visible eye softened immediately.
"You're not here to mooch again, are you? I told you I won't be giving you any more vali. If you want things, find a job and earn it yourself."
Hestia huffed dramatically, placing her hands on her hips.
"Not this time! I've actually got important business, thank you very much!"
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow.
Hestia beamed, practically glowing with pride as she spoke her next words.
"I got my first familia member!"
Hephaestus blinked.
Then her gaze moved to me.
And stayed there.
"Oh?"
She said mildly.
"So, I'm guessing this is the miracle boy who signed up to join your Familia?"
Her words held an inkling of sarcasm, but I could tell it was mostly playful. Mostly. Her flat tone made it hard to judge. I offered her a small bow, feeling weird doing so as it was never a part of my culture but something I had seen only in the Anime and Manga back on Earth.
"I'm Ethan. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Hephaestus."
She nodded slightly but her eye narrowed just a touch.
"So, Ethan… what made you join Hestia's Familia? It's not exactly a well-established one. In fact, it's just her. And now you."
Her tone wasn't unkind, but it was sharp, direct. The kind of probing that expected the truth and didn't accept fluff.
I took a breath. Time to thread this needle.
"Well… I guess it was the way she felt."
I said slowly.
"There was something warm about her. Warm and welcoming. A lot of the other Familias I know of seem… impersonal, in ways. Like, I'd just be another number in their ranks."
I glanced at Hestia and gave her a small honest smile.
"I like the idea of being with the Goddess who actually cares about her Familia members—not just how fast they could bring in valis or loot from the Dungeon."
Hestia flushed and smiled brightly, her chest puffing out with pride, causing me to very briefly glance down—Damn it, no distractions! Serious mode!
Hephaestus hummed.
"So, you just happened to run into her?"
"No, I was looking into joining a Familia at the Guild."
I said, continuing with the story I had cooked up in my head.
"Her name came up during my search."
That was true… from a certain point of view. The two lines just referred to different events. But she didn't need to know that.
Hephaestus nodded slowly and turned to Hestia.
"So, you did put your name on the recruitment board at the Guild like I told you?"
Hestia blinked.
"Eh? No, I forgot."
…
Silence.
My heart skipped a beat.
I felt my back tickle and grow slightly stiff. I had to make a conscious effort to stay calm.
Hephaestus turned back to me, her single red eye narrowing like a master smith examining flawed steel.
"That's interesting. Because if she didn't register with the Guild... how did you learn about her?"
Crap.
I couldn't panic. Not now, in front of her. That would make things worse.
"It's true that the Guild's List of familias currently recruiting didn't have her name."
I nodded, Hephaestus listening to my words keenly.
"I heard about her from other sources. I was curious. So, I searched for her on my own."
Not a lie. Not technically. I did learn about Hestia from other sources. Namely, the Danmachi anime, but I was not going to clarify unless clearly asked to, and even then, I won't be revealing such information so willy nilly, her suspicions towards me be damned. I did make sure it was spoken with no ill intent. I didn't have any in the first place, so it was easy.
I paused, then continued gently.
"I know this might sound shady. But I promise, I have no bad intentions. I just… wanted to meet her and if it was possible, join her Familia. And when I did meet her, she felt right. We clicked and I ended up joining the Hestia Familia."
I looked Hephaestus in the eye.
"I understand your suspicion, Lady Hephaestus. I really do. I would probably feel the same if I were in your shoes. But I wouldn't hurt her. I'm not with her to trick her and make use of her. I joined because I genuinely wanted to back then."
That… that was true. Despite my intentions, I did end up joining because I wanted to. Not just because she was useful or gullible or such. That being said, I didn't know how the second last line would register to the goddess. Because, at the end of the day, I was sort of still making use of Hestia to possibly get my cheat powers, even if I was also trying to help her financially in turn.
Hestia stepped forward then, her eyes bright and voice strong.
"I believe in him. Ethan's been a good child! He's been kind and respectful from the start. And he's smart too! He's already planning his path forward seriously."
Hephaestus watched us both for a long moment, silent and thoughtful. Then she finally nodded.
"I believe you."
She said simply. I held back the sigh of relief leaking but my body wasn't trying to tense up anymore.
"But forgive me for being cautious. I care about Hestia. Even when she's sometimes a pain in the neck."
"Hey!"
Hestia pouted at that.
"I kicked her out because I wanted her to grow…"
Hephaestus continued unabated, looking at me and ignoring the smaller Goddess.
"… To stand on her own. And now she's done it. She's got her first familia member. So, I'm proud of her and happy for her. And I don't want to see her get burned right after lighting her first flame."
Her words were spoken with sincerity, and I could see what Hestia meant when she spoke about Hephaestus being a caring friend. That… That right there was a hallmark sign of a good friend. A caring friend. One who wanted to help their friend but also nudge them to become independent and strong.
"I understand."
I replied just as sincerely.
"And… thank you. For putting your trust in me. I'll try my best not to break it."
"Hm."
She sat back, folding her arms under her large breasts—inadvertently creating a rather tempting view as her cleavage was further accentuated—looking at Hestia with her deadpan stare that I was starting to think was her default state. Kinda amusing when looking from the sides and not being the focus of said stare, if I were to be honest.
"So, what did you actually come to see me for? You're not here just to show off your shiny new child, right?"
Hephaestus easily guessed.
"Right."
Hestia said quickly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"It better not be a request to make him a new weapon or armor, Hestia. We both know you can't afford my prices, and I am not going to change my mind about giving you free stuff. Even on such an occasion."
I winced at the jolt from Hestia as she held her heart at the casual jab. Damn.
"No, it's not that! Um, there's something weird with his blessing that I gave him…"
Hephaestus's brow quirked, but her delivery was just as deadpan.
"What?"
I sighed. There it was. Time to accept the risk and hope for the best.
"I think you should see it for yourself."
I offered when Hestia didn't immediately speak up. But then added.
"But before that…"
I looked at Hestia deliberately, hoping she's get the hint and do what I asked her to do.
"Ah! Yes, um, I wanted to get it checked by you and see if it's fixable. But, can you please keep it a secret. I don't want it to be known by anyone other than the three of us. Please, Hephaestus. It's very important to me."
Hestia's serious request caught even Hephaestus off-guard and she became serious, her single eye narrowing in thought.
She rubbed her chin, pondering something, before she nodded.
"Very well. I swear to not reveal what I see from your child's Falna to anyone, including my familia. Is that good enough for you? Or do you want me to write it down?"
"No, it's enough. Thank you, Lady Hephaestus. It means a lot."
I replied on Hestia's behalf before I started unbuttoning my shirt.
"Yeah, thank you, Hephaestus!"
Hestia also added her two cents.
Hephaestus nodded in acceptance, then stood up from behind her desk and walked over with the slow, confident steps of someone used to handling things. Her eye narrowed the moment she saw my bare back.
And then… her eye widened. Just slightly.
"… What in the name of the Forge is this?"
She murmured, leaning closer.
Hestia fidgeted.
"See? I told you it was weird. It's like… alive. And it seems to be blocking my blessing but doesn't seem to have any ill effects on Ethan. But I don't know why it is happening."
Hephaestus didn't reply right away. She circled around to get a better look, brushing a few strands of hair away to study the crest, with me barely catching her in my field of view due to my limited field of view, facing away from her.
"It's like there's another layer over your emblem. It's pulsing with something… else. And you're right about it resisting divine powers. Usually, I would be able to make out the status because it's not locked—remind me to teach you later how to do it so other gods and goddess don't see your child's status— but I am unable to. How… bizarre."
She stepped back, deep in thought.
"Whatever it is, it's not part of the standard Falna structure. I'll need to run some checks. But Hestia… you didn't do anything strange when you gave your Falna to him?"
"No! I followed everything just like you told me. Exactly!" Hestia protested.
Hephaestus sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Well… guess we've got a mystery on our hands."
-x-
My next few hours were spent under the meticulous, laser-focused attention of Hephaestus.
After examining the Falna directly, she'd guided us into a smaller workshop section of her office—one littered with magical tools, glowing instruments, and strange contraptions that looked like they belonged in both a divine temple and a mad scientist's lab.
I had to stand shirtless under a softly glowing crystal while Hestia stood to the side, nervously fidgeting, and Hephaestus worked with the kind of intense silence that dared anyone to interrupt.
At some point, she stopped responding to questions entirely and entered what I could only describe as research mode. Even Hestia eventually shut up.
And then—finally—she spoke.
"Nothing. Again."
Her voice was tight with frustration. She ran a hand through her short red hair, clearly irritated. Not at us. At herself. At the world. At the stubborn mystery etched onto my back.
She turned, wiping her hands on a cloth as she leaned against a bench, eye narrowing at the floor like it had personally wronged her.
"I ran every diagnostic enchantment I could think of. Divine trace overlays, detection runes, even my Familia's experimental scanner that I've been working on. And all I got was the same thing: interference. Like something is passively jamming any kind of inspection. Not just blocking, but actively… twisting our attempts to look."
Hestia's eyes widened, but she nodded.
"Yes, it does feel that way."
Hephaestus gave her now signature flat look.
"You know how it should be. Our Falna is divine in nature—it's pure. If something's interfering with it, that's bad enough. But this? This feels intentional. Like something is intercepting the flow of divinity and converting it into… something else."
She looked at me. Not hostile. But with a tinge of… wariness. Curiosity. And maybe a bit of concern.
I swallowed.
"...Do you know what it could be? Or if there's a way to fix it?"
I asked, voice a little quieter than I expected. Was it a problem after all?
"No."
She said bluntly.
"But I do know one thing now that I didn't before."
She glanced at Hestia, then back at me.
"This thing—whatever it is—doesn't just cover the Falna. It's embedded in it. Integrated on a level I've never seen. And if I'm reading it right… it's going to block your Falna from updating properly."
I blinked.
"...I'm sorry? What?"
"Your status."
She clarified.
"Your stats, magic, skills—anything that grows through experience or battle. It might not update like it should. At least not through the usual process of Hestia reading and rewriting your excelia gains. Something is blocking that core mechanism. It's like your Falna is... frozen."
The room went silent.
Hestia's jaw dropped.
"But… but I saw the blessing take hold! It reacted properly when I gave it to him! That is… until it started acting weird."
Hephaestus nodded.
"The Falna took. But it's like someone installed a second operating system on top of it. One that's not compatible with ours."
I stared down at the floor, processing the implications. A second System. It almost sounded like it was the work of the being or force that brought me to this world.
If I couldn't gain excelia… if I couldn't level up like normal adventurers… what did that mean for me? For the plans I had? My cheat skills, my long-term goals—everything was based around growth. Experience. Getting stronger to survive.
If I was stuck as I am now… What would I do?
"...Is there any way to fix it?"
I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Hephaestus exhaled slowly.
"Maybe. I'm not saying you're completely frozen forever. Just that this isn't something we can brute-force through. You'll need to test it. Carefully. Record the excelia gains. If Hestia can't see any changes after a Dungeon run, that confirms the blockage."
Hestia nodded, though she looked just as rattled.
"But maybe it's just dormant. Maybe it only blocks some things, or it needs time, or—"
"Or maybe it never lets go."
Hephaestus interrupted softly. Not cold. Just honest.
My chest felt tight. Like someone had just wrapped a cold chain around my ribs and pulled. And my thoughts wandered to one of the two cheats written on my Status.
A quiet voice inside me asked, What if that cheat wasn't a blessing, but a curse?
Another voice—the one I'd been using to keep calm since waking up in this world—whispered back, It's fine. Just a bump. I'll figure it out and adapt. All is not lost.
Still, that weight was there. A creeping sense of uncertainty that no amount of confidence could fully suppress.
I wasn't going to collapse and give up from this obstacle… but I wasn't walking away from it unscathed either.
"I still want to test it."
I said after a long silence. My voice was firmer now, even if the confidence behind it was cracked.
"Just to be sure. I'll head into the Dungeon soon, even if just to confirm. If there's a flaw in this system, I need to see it for myself."
Mostly to figure out what to do with the knowledge from then onwards. The outcome of my first dungeon expedition would inevitably change how my future goes.
Hephaestus studied me for a long second, then gave a small nod.
"You've got guts. I respect that. Just be careful. The Dungeon's no place for half-measures or untested blessings."
I took a sharp breath in.
"I will be."
I spoke.
Hestia moved closer, brushing her fingers against my arm. Her touch was warm. Comforting.
"You won't go alone."
She said softly, but firmly.
"We'll figure this out together. I'll see if I can get one of my friends to lend us their Level 2 or higher Children."
And despite everything, I found myself smiling—just a little.
"…Thanks, Hestia."
I knew I made the right decision joining the Hestia Familia. Even now, she was supportive of me, never doubting me.
I could feel my emotions stir at that.
-x-