[However, I think that information is best saved for the next time Lili's name comes up as a topic... If I focus too much on future events right now, I won't be able to focus on the present. And, right now, I have a goal- to join Hestia's Familia.]
Lili wasn't the only one who had to muffle a scream of frustration, many of the others holding the diary did as well... He couldn't just tease them with future knowledge like that! That was evil, cruelty!
Lili took a deep breath... It was fine, he would talk about it eventually... He'd likely mention her again should they meet in the real world, so she would see how things went.
It didn't mean she wasn't annoyed though... She wanted to learn more! How did she become of the greatest strategists in Orario!? How the heck did she end up a member of the Hestia Familia!? She had questions, and she needed answers!
[Let's see... In my last life, Hestia reached out to me after I got mugged not long after arriving in the city and gave me a free Potato Snack- that's how we met. But, this time, I've been careful and haven't been mugged. So, that won't happen again. In that case, the best thing to do is to buy a potato snack myself and ask to join her Familia straight out!]
Hestia quickly hid the diary in her bag with a smile, her eyes lighting up. It was a good thing Zomo had a plan to approach her, it meant all she had to do was keep selling potato snacks and he'd come up to her himself! Her Zomo- yes, she already considered him hers- was so smart!
Still, she didn't know what he actually looked like- she only knew his name. So, it was better to just work for now.
As for revealing the diary- forget about it. Something capable of giving her allowance on her divine power wasn't something that would allow Hestia to reveal it or allow itself to be exploited. After all, if she revealed the diary and what she knew about it, then wouldn't Zomo be able to just write her name over and over for three months straight for her to potentially gain full access to her divine power while on Genkai?
One thing Hestia had learned while guarding the Divine Flame was that some things shouldn't be meddled with. She guarded the Divine Flame precisely because it was something that must not be meddled with or used recklessly- even Ouranos deferred to Hestia when it came to the flame.
The Diary, in Hestia's opinion, was just like the Divine Flame. It shouldn't be meddled with, and you shouldn't try to manipulate it. The only person who should do so was the one who it had been entrusted to- in this case, Zomo.
So, Hestia focused on her work, eagerly waiting for someone to step up and ask to join her Familia.
Finally, Zomo made his way onto the street- his eyes immediately locking onto Hestia who was hard at work. His golden eyes gleamed as he looked at the short and stacked Goddess... That blue ribbon was putting in the work, and he appreciated how hard it was working.
He ran a hand through his black hair and adjusted his scarf slightly before he walked up to the stall and smiled. "One Potato Snack with cheese please," he told her.
"Of course!" Hestia smiled happily, whipping up the snack in no time and handing it over. "That'll be 40 Valis!"
Zomo reached into his pocket and pulled out the money, handing it over and taking the snack. He took a bite out of it, curious at the taste... Hm...? It was good, like a Hash Brown with cheese.
"Forgive me for asking but... You're a Goddess, right?" He asked, as if he didn't know.
"Huhu, that's right!" She puffed out her chest proudly.
"I see... That's good," he smiled. "My name is Zomo, will you let me join your Familia, Lady Goddess?"
Hestia stared at him in surprise before her eyes lit up in realisation. So, this was Zomo? She briefly looked over him and felt excited. He was handsome, and he looked so gentle! Truly, Hestia appreciated herself from the other timeline- she had good taste!
"Really?" She asked him, not wanting to seem too eager. "You want to join my Familia? I'll warn you, my living conditions aren't great, and you would be my only member. Are you still sure you want to join?"
"I'm sure," he smiled. "Please accept me, Lady Goddess."
A brilliant smile bloomed on the Goddess's face. "Boss, I'm taking the day off!" She called out.
The Boss chuckled and gave Hestia a fond smile, "Go on, get outta here."
Hestia smiled and took off her apron and headband, before she grabbed Zomo's wrist and happily began to lead him towards the run down church that she was staying in.
Zomo kept the smile on his face as he followed behind Hestia who led the march ahead, his golden eyes flicking down to look at her ass in that tight dress as it jiggled and bounced.
Hestia being the Goddess who got involved in canon wasn't the only reason he'd chosen her- he also chose her because she was drop dead sexy and deserved better than Bell Cranel.
While Zomo was Bell's fan, he hated that DanMachi was a 'fake' harem story and disliked how Bell didn't just make it clear with Hestia on if he did or didn't want to be with her in a romantic sense.
Zomo planned to make it clear to Hestia that he was interested in her, but she would have to share... Luckily, he had the diary for that. He'd have to play it carefully, very carefully, but he was confident he could convince Hestia to share. After all, what Hestia wanted most for Bell was for him to achieve his goals and be happy.
Therefore, he knew he could manipulate Hestia into accepting a harem through the diary.
Soon enough, the two of them arrived at the church. Zomo eyed the church slowly- it really was as bad as shown in the series. He knew it wouldn't be forever, but damn if it wasn't bad.
"I know it's not much," Hestia said, her voice a bit more subdued. "But I hope this won't turn you away."
"I already told you I want to be in your Familia," he chuckled softly and nodded at her gently. "Besides, I'll just have to earn a lot so we can move into a better home, right?"
A smile bloomed onto the face of the Goddess. "Mm! I'll be relying on you!" She agreed without hesitation as she led him inside the church.
Hestia had clearly put some work into making the place liveable. It was clean, at the very least, no debris. The building had also clearly been worked on in order to prevent leaks- likely Hephaistos's doing in secret in order to ensure Hestia wouldn't freeze.
Zomo was led over to the altar, as Hestia cleared her throat. "I promised myself that I would give the Falna to my first Familia member by this altar," she explained. "Now, the Blessing- the Falna- is very simple in how it is bestowed. I'll need to see your bare back to do it and then kneel with your back to me. I'll handle the rest."
He nodded and removed his scarf and then removed his top, setting it on the ground and kneeling on the ground with his back to her.
Hestia looked over him slowly, noting that Zomo was incredibly average in terms of build. He was neither toned, but nor was he bloated; he was completely average. She wondered how he would change as he got stronger- she wasn't really aware of the effects the Falna had on physical appearance, after all.
Still, Hestia gently lifted up a hairpin and gently pricked her finger with it. As blood was drawn, she lifted her hand above Zomo's back... And let the blood fall.
Blue light spread from Zomo's back, and he visibly shuddered as the divine essence of Hestia was infused into his being as he received her blessing- forming statistics in divine language only the Gods could understand.
Zomo Amaechi
Level 1
Strength I0
Dexterity I0
Endurance I0
Agility I0
Magic I0
Magic
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
Skills
Dia Kaos - An Endless Journey through Eternity. Growth increases. Crystallised Emotions. Enhance attacks through the power of Void.
Flame of the Sky - Harmony and Flame.
Hestia's eyes lit up as she read and understood his abilities... It really was as he said- a growth skill and that Sky Flame. But she also noticed that Dia Kaos also crystallised his emotions and also allowed him to enhance his attacks with an attribute.
Though Hestia was confused... Even she, one of the elder Goddesses and the Guardian of the Flame had never heard of the Void attribute... She also found herself wondering why he'd not mentioned Dia Kaos could enhance his attacks.
She quickly rationalised it though. Crystalising emotions wasn't something a mortal would be able to understand, so that made sense. And perhaps he was just so excited to have a growth skill that he hadn't read the skill fully before he wrote about it.
Copying his Falna onto a piece of paper, Hestia resolved herself to visit Hephaistos soon and learn how to hide the Falna to make sure his abilities didn't get out too easily. She suspected several other Goddesses had the Diary- plus that Wallenstein girl had it... There was a chance that Loki may have a copy too. She was most worried about the possibility that Freya had the diary.
"All done," Hestia told him happily, allowing Zomo to put his top back on along with his scarf, handing over his status to him. "You're incredibly talented! Not only do you have two skills, but you even have three Magic Slots!"
"How do Magic slots work?" Zomo asked as he pretended to read through his skills. He didn't react to his growth skill since he would have no standard for how fast adventurers would normally grow.
"As you grow and get stronger, you might develop magic," Hestia explained. "Most people don't have magic slots and end up needing a Grimoire- an incredibly expensive item- to obtain magic. But you having those slots means you may develop magic on your own as you get stronger."
"Well, I hope I get magic soon," he smiled at her. "I guess I'll go ahead and register at the guild- I'll start going into the dungeon tomorrow."
Hestia smiled and nodded. "Right! You do that, I'm going to do some shopping and prepare you a nice welcome dinner!"
"Thank you," he said softly, not arguing. Hestia was the kind of person who would spend money for the people she cared about even if she didn't have much.
She smiled widely and gave him a quick hug before she put on her jacket. "I'll see you later!" She told him as he rushed away with a smile, clearly thrilled to finally have a Familia member.
Zomo was silent for a moment before he pulled out his own diary and began to write.
[As of now, I am the first member of the Hestia Familia.]
He stopped for a moment, reading that line several times before he smiled to himself. The first step on a long journey to becoming the strongest.
[There isn't much to write about this. Hestia happily accepted me into the Familia, bestowed me the Falna, and now she's going shopping in order to make me a welcome dinner... I suspect she might also stop by to visit Hephaistos-sama and ask her on how to hide the Falna so that people won't be able to read about my skills and stats without Status Thief.]
[For now, I'll close out this diary entry here. I'll start up a new entry once I get back from the guild. I'm looking forward to seeing Eina again.]
Zomo smirked before he controlled his expression and left the church- making his way straight to the guild. It was time to register as an Adventurer...
[Diary Entry Complete.]
And, while he was at it, he could claim his new rewards~