Although it was called the dwelling of a goddess and her attendant, the place looked far too humble—almost shabby.
Ye Yu looked up at the building before him.
At the very end of this completely deserted little street stood a dilapidated church.
One could even say this two-story building, constructed to honor the gods, was almost entirely in ruins. The exterior was marked by broken and crumbling stone, giving off a faint aura of sorrow—as if worn away by the passage of countless years, slowly fading from people's memories.
Above the main entrance, a goddess statue stood in tatters, half of her face lost to time, yet still smiling down upon Ye Yu.
The thought that such a venerable goddess actually lived in this place made Ye Yu feel a mixture of helplessness and sadness. At the same time, a weighty sense of responsibility settled deep in his chest.
He had to work hard to earn money—at the very least, he needed to provide Hestia with a proper home.
Stepping inside, the interior was no better than the outside. The floor was cracked, with weeds growing thickly through the gaps. Most of the ceiling had long since collapsed, leaving the space open to the sky. Warm sunlight poured in through the large hole above, bathing the altar—miraculously still intact—in a gentle glow.
Without lingering in what was little more than a ruin, Ye Yu made his way to a small room just in front of the altar. He stepped inside the dim space where a row of bookshelves stood—empty of any books. Behind the farthest shelf, stairs descended deep underground.
After what felt like an endless descent, a door appeared before Ye Yu's eyes. The door was open, faint light spilling from the small window in its center.
"Back so soon, Hestia?" he called out—not with the usual formal titles that others used for gods, but simply by her name. Then he stepped inside.
The goddess he called was lounging on a purple sofa, lying back with a book open in her hands. Hearing Ye Yu's voice, she sprang to her feet immediately.
"You're back! How's your basic training going, adventurer?"
Hestia's youthful face lit up with an excited smile. With quick, bounding steps, she approached Ye Yu.
Though her exaggerated chest was noticeable, her overall childlike stature left her well below Ye Yu's height—making her look like a little sister who had come to cling to him.
Though they had spent little time together, this goddess truly loved to act spoiled. Perhaps it was because she had been alone for so long—it must have been terribly lonely.
Thinking this, Ye Yu's hand unconsciously reached out to gently pat Hestia's head. Immediately, she pouted in displeasure.
"How rude! Both your words and your actions! First of all, you are my attendant and must address me as 'Your Highness, the Goddess.' And second, touching a little girl's head like that is strictly forbidden!"
She brushed Ye Yu's hand away and pressed a finger against his nose.
"Sorry… I just thought calling you Hestia felt more intimate. Calling you 'Your Highness' feels too distant for family," Ye Yu said with a faint smile.
Hestia blushed, fidgeting shyly.
"Since you say so, I'll allow you to call me by name—after all, you're my beloved attendant," she said with a warm smile.
Hestia tugged Ye Yu down onto the sofa and began asking him a string of questions.
"So, how is it? Is the studying hard? Tomorrow you'll officially enter the dungeon—are you nervous? Scared? Oh, and did that half-elf advisor try to do anything weird to you?"
As she spoke, Hestia's small hands wandered over Ye Yu's body, as if checking to make sure no one had taken advantage of her attendant.
"It was all pretty straightforward stuff, nothing worth worrying about. Theory is just theory; I'll have to see how useful it really is once I'm in the dungeon."
"Hmm, that's true. Get plenty of rest tonight. You'll need all your energy for your first dungeon expedition," Hestia said, taking Ye Yu by the hand and leading him toward the bed, looking as nervous as if she herself were about to enter the dungeon.
"You sit here, and I'll prepare dinner. Sales at the shop were great today, and the owner gave me a bunch of potato balls as a thank-you!"
Feeling somewhat helpless, Ye Yu could only let this goddess boss him around. Watching the girl leave with a radiant smile to make dinner, he fell into a brief, quiet reverie.
Though she was a lofty goddess, living in such a cramped, dilapidated place, forced to work just to survive—yet still able to wear such a blissful smile?
Was this enough? Was this kind of life truly happiness for Hestia, a goddess? Why was it like this?
Lost in thought, Ye Yu absentmindedly touched his own face. Cold and stiff—no matter how much he tried to smile, he must come across as distant and frosty, like an unapproachable winter chill.
Earlier, while with Aina, Ye Yu had sensed it already—this was some instinctive form of self-protection.
And it seemed to have put her off for quite some time.
After all, Aina had patiently explained everything about being an adventurer in the dungeon, but Ye Yu had kept a cold expression the whole time. Even the kindest person would grow frustrated, wouldn't they?
With that thought, Ye Yu let out a helpless, wry smile.
Only when he was with her—only then—could he relax a little, feeling a rare warmth.
Thinking this, his gaze landed on Hestia, happily returning with a large plate of fried potatoes, and he found himself smiling faintly once more.
Seeing the girl's satisfied and joyful expression, the chill deep within his soul began to fade away, as if he had been redeemed.
Hestia—my goddess—I will do everything in my power to protect your smile, in the name of your devoted attendant... your familiar.
Looking at the girl before him, Ye Yu silently made a vow. In that moment, he completely shed the ice that had encased him, and as Hestia's attendant, he fully embraced this world.