At this moment—
Akiyama Ren looked at Hestia's beaming expression and allowed himself a smug little smile. His plan had gone off without a hitch.
"This loli Goddess is way too easy to deceive," he thought.
"So," he asked casually, "do you plan to finish up today's work before heading over to my place, or would you rather come with me now?"
Hestia clearly wanted to drop everything and go with him that very instant, but she paused, placing her hands on her hips. "I'll finish today's shift first! If I bail now, that would be too rude to my current boss."
Ren nodded, amused. "Alright, then. I'll wait for you. Here's my address."
As he turned to leave, Hestia called out, "Wait! I still don't know your name!"
With a grin, Ren looked back. "I'm Akiyama Ren, a War God and a Calamity God, hailing from the Far East."
Hestia's eyes lit up. "Oh! So you're from the same place as Take-kun!"
Ren instantly understood that she was referring to Takemikazuchi, but he didn't bother explaining.
"Alright then, see you later," Ren said, waving casually.
"Bye-bye, Ren-san!" Hestia responded with an energetic wave of her own.
After leaving the north street, Ren stopped by the market and stocked up on fresh ingredients. Once he returned to the villa, he decided to cook for the first time in what felt like forever, making several dishes from Chinese Cuisine to satisfy his cravings.
With his stomach full, he focused the rest of the day on learning magic and Onmyōdō. After a month of diligent study, Ren had already mastered most of the magic systems from the Campione! world and the modern-style Onmyōdō from the Jujutsu Kaisen-inspired main world.
Unlike other Godslayers, who relied solely on their Authorities, Ren had become a true jack-of-all-trades. He wasn't just brute force—he had brains and technique too.
Only a few complex secret arts remained, which he could probably master within a few days. Once done, he could fuse everything through his Ciel and create an Ultimate Skill modeled after the Rimuru template.
Before he realized it, dusk had settled in.
Right on cue, Hestia arrived at the gate.
But the moment she laid eyes on the villa—spanning nearly 16 acres, more extravagant than even the Hephaestus Familia's headquarters—she froze in place.
"W-Wha... What is this place?!"
Even as a Goddess with countless years of life behind her, Hestia had never seen a home this luxurious.
Ren stepped out with perfect timing. "Welcome, Hestia. Took you long enough. I've been waiting."
Hestia pouted cutely, scratching her cheek. "Sorry! Sales were too good today. I only managed to quit after selling out the whole batch."
"That's fine. Being responsible is a virtue," Ren said with a wave. "Your job officially starts tomorrow."
"Ehh? Then... um, could it start tonight?" Hestia asked sheepishly.
It wasn't hard to figure out why. She had nowhere to stay.
Ren laughed. "Alright, work begins tonight. Come on in."
Relieved, Hestia eagerly followed him in, her eyes widening at every turn.
She gasped at the open-air swimming pool, marveled at the sleek interior design, and stopped to poke every unfamiliar object.
"Ren-san, are these... appliances? They really work like magic?"
"Want to see for yourself?" Ren said with a smirk. He tossed his Type-Moon clothes into the washing machine, added detergent, and hit the start button.
The machine gurgled to life.
"Uwaaah! It's moving! It's really moving on its own!"
"Powered by magic stones. Think of it as magic stone tech," Ren explained.
"So that's how it is!" Hestia nodded in realization. Magic stone lamps and elevators were common in Orario, so this wasn't too farfetched.
After the tour, Ren told her to pick any room she liked. With 100 rooms to choose from, there was no shortage of space—and it was perfect for future plans involving his ever-growing harem.
"Yosh! Then I'll take full advantage!" Hestia shouted joyfully as she skipped off to find her perfect room.
She had already made up her mind: Ren was going on her list of favorite Gods.
...
As night fell, Akiyama Ren took out the leftover food from lunch and reheated it using one of the modern kitchen appliances he had installed in the villa. The aroma of sweet and savory dishes soon filled the luxurious home.
He called out, "Hestia, dinner's ready!"
From the second floor, a flurry of footsteps echoed as Hestia ran out of her room, her twin-tailed hair bouncing behind her. "Coming~!" she shouted cheerfully.
When she reached the dining area and saw the table laid out with steaming dishes and a fragrant pot of rice, her cerulean eyes sparkled. "Ren-san, what is all this? It smells amazing!"
Ren offered a calm smile. "This is food from the Far East—Japanese cuisine. Give it a try."
"Ohh, I see!" Hestia nodded seriously like a student receiving a lecture from her senpai.
Copying Ren, she picked up a bowl of rice and chopsticks. However, the moment she tried to use the chopsticks, it became a full-on battle.
"W-Why won't these stupid sticks cooperate?! Agh!" she pouted, poking her food helplessly. Ren couldn't help but laugh.
"Here, use these instead," he said, bringing over a spoon and fork from the kitchen.
"Hmph, fine! But I'll master those weird sticks one day!" she declared with fire in her eyes, before stabbing a juicy rib with her fork and placing it into her mouth.
Her eyes widened the moment the flavors hit her tongue.
"Ren-san! What is this heavenly thing?!" she squealed in delight.
"That's sweet and sour pork ribs," Ren replied, amused. "But you're not eating it right. Pour the sauce over the rice and mix it. Here, like this."
He demonstrated by scooping the remaining sauce into a bowl of rice and stirring it together. The moment he did, a savory aroma wafted up, richer than before.
Hestia immediately copied him. She took a spoonful of the rice and sauce—and her eyes nearly rolled back.
"Delicioussss!! Why is this so good?! This is illegal!" she cried, gobbling it down rapidly.
Soon after, she tried the other dishes: stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, shredded pork with green peppers, and beef stewed with potatoes. Each bite seemed to bring a new level of enlightenment.
By the end of the meal, Hestia had devoured nearly everything on the table and consumed five large bowls of rice. She leaned back, dazed.
"Ughhh... I'm full… but I could eat more…" she mumbled.
Ren stared at her petite figure in disbelief. "Where did it all go…?" he muttered.
Realizing how much she'd eaten, Hestia blushed slightly and hopped up. "I'll go clean up! I'm the head housekeeper now, after all!"
With a determined face, she took the empty dishes and went to wash them. Ren smiled and headed off to take a bath. He knew Hestia would take her responsibilities seriously once she committed.
The night passed peacefully, and morning arrived.
...
At dawn, the front door opened.
Maki Zen'in, battle-worn and weary, returned from her solo expedition.
Her usual long, ink-green hair had been cut short—now resembling her hairstyle in the manga's later arcs. Her clothes were torn in multiple places, her face smudged with dirt, and the dry rations she had carried were long gone.
Yet despite the wear and grime, she exuded a fierce aura. Her short hair gave her a more commanding, tomboyish edge that somehow made her even more alluring.
The moment her tired eyes locked onto Ren, she dropped everything and rushed toward him.
"Ren!!" she cried, flinging herself into his arms.
The force of her hug nearly knocked him over. Her arms wrapped tightly around his torso, her face buried against his chest.
During those perilous days in the Dungeon's lower floors, she had more than once believed she wouldn't survive to see him again. The emotions built up during their twelve-day separation burst forth all at once.
Ren, sensing her emotional state, hugged her back tightly. Despite the smell and grime, he didn't hesitate.
"It's alright… you're home," he said softly.
After a while, Maki stepped back slightly. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath uneven.
"Ren… I want you," she whispered with unfiltered honesty.
Ren's eyebrow twitched. "Take a bath first, baka," he said dryly.
"You're so mean!" Maki pouted, puffing her cheeks. But she was smiling.
He lightly swatted her behind. "Go, go. Scrub every inch"
With a teasing laugh, she dashed toward the bathroom.
...
Going to the kitchen, Akiyama Ren began preparing a hearty breakfast to replenish Maki Zen'in's strength.
After spending nearly two weeks in the Dungeon surviving on nothing but dry rations and monster jerky, she had lost noticeable weight. Her stamina and strength needed serious recovery.
Just as Ren was slicing vegetables with practiced ease, the sound of light footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Hestia had just woken up.
Clad in loose sky-blue pajamas and rubbing her sleepy eyes, she yawned as she walked groggily out of her room. Her signature blue ribbon bounced along with her every step. As she shuffled down the hallway toward the bathroom—
Click.
The bathroom door opened from the inside.
Maki Zen'in stepped out, hair still damp from her bath. She wore a casual T-shirt and shorts borrowed from Ren's closet, her short hair clinging slightly to her cheeks. Her tattered adventurer's outfit had already been tossed aside.
The two women locked eyes.
The hallway fell silent.
Red eyes met green.
Tension thickened like smoke.
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?" Maki asked sharply, narrowing her eyes.
Hestia blinked, then crossed her arms with puffed cheeks. "I should be the one asking that! I'm the head butler Ren-san hired! And you—what's your relationship with him, barging out of the bathroom like that?"
Maki raised a brow, then smirked. "I'm his wife. This is my home. So, what's a freeloading loli Goddess doing here?"
"Baka! Who are you calling a freeloading loli?!" Hestia stomped her foot, her twin drills swaying furiously. "I'm a proper Goddess! And don't go making stuff up! Ren never said he had a wife!"
"Tch, you're really noisy in the morning." Maki rolled her eyes.
The verbal standoff would've escalated if not for Ren stepping out of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of miso soup in hand.
"Oi, enough. Save the fighting for monsters in the Dungeon, not in my hallway."
Immediately, both girls quieted down like scolded children.
"Breakfast's ready. Wash up and come eat," Ren said nonchalantly.
Upon hearing the magic word, Hestia's irritation instantly vanished.
"Yatta! I'm starving!" she shouted as she sprinted into the bathroom.
Maki watched her go with narrowed eyes, then turned to Ren.
"So, care to explain what's going on with that one?"
Ren chuckled and placed the bowl down on the dining table. "That's Hestia. She's one of the Gods from this world. The Goddess of the Hearth."
"Hestia?" Maki muttered. "That Hestia? From Greek mythology?"
Ren nodded. "Yep. One of the Twelve Olympians. Though here, she's... well, a bit different than the myths."
Maki furrowed her brows. "And you just brought her home? What if she discovers everything about you being from another world?"
"It's fine," Ren said with a calm shrug. "Ouranos already knew from the start. And Hestia? She's harmless."
Maki let out a breath and nodded. "Well, if you say so. But still... that mouth of hers is asking for a slap."
Ren chuckled again. "You'll get used to her."
Changing the topic, Maki stretched and said, "Anyway, enough about that. Can you update my Blessing? I've been fighting non-stop. I want to see how much I've grown."
"Sure. Let's do it now."
They moved to Ren's room, where Maki sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off her shirt and revealing her smooth back.
Ren bit his fingertip, drawing a drop of divine blood, and let it drip onto the Falna mark on her back.
Blue glyphs began to glow as her updated Status surfaced.
Ren's eyes flickered with divine light as he recorded the changes.
[Status Update]
Strength: I0 → C600
Endurance: I0 → D566
Dexterity: I0 → D555
Agility: I0 → D571
Magic: I0 → C699
"…Incredible," Ren muttered.
Maki's eyes lit up. "Is it that good?"
"You skipped six whole ranks in Strength and Magic. The rest jumped five. This kind of growth is insane, Maki-chan. At this rate, you might hit Level 4 within 100 days."
Maki smirked. "Told you. I don't slack off when I'm training."
Ren chuckled. "That's not normal training. You practically lived in the Dungeon."
He marveled at her progress. Normally, raising stats beyond D-rank took serious effort and time. Most elite adventurers stalled for years trying to reach A or S rank.
Even the top members of the Loki Familia—Finn, Riveria, and Gareth—had spent years stuck at Level 6, aiming to maximize their Status before attempting to Level Up.
But Maki? Her progress was rapid, and that was thanks to her compatibility with the Grace System and her iron will.
"Still," Ren muttered, "pushing further past D-rank won't be easy. The higher you go, the more effort it takes to grow."
He glanced at Maki's back again, the divine letters fading.
"But if anyone can do it, you can."
Maki looked over her shoulder with a proud smile. "Then I'll keep going. I won't lose to anyone."
As she began tying her shirt back on, a mischievous spark lit her eyes. "So... what's for breakfast?"
Ren grinned. "I was just finishing up something special. You'll like it."
Maki smirked. "Good. I burned through everything I had in the Dungeon. You owe me something tasty."
"Alright, alright. Just don't eat like Hestia," Ren teased.
"Oi! I heard that!" Hestia's voice echoed from the bathroom.
The morning in the villa began with food, banter, and the peaceful chaos Ren was quickly getting used to.
Maybe having a Goddess and a sword-wielding tsundere under one roof wasn't so bad after all.