In the single room of the abandoned church, Luki lay on his back while Hestia, seated on top of him, worked silently to update his Falna. The air was heavy, filled with a mixture of tension and uncomfortable silence. Hestia was still furious, and Luki didn't know how to break the ice.
— How many… — Luki tried to ask, referring to the points he had earned.
— Quiet, — Hestia replied coldly, without even looking at him.
Realizing that any attempt at conversation would be useless, he sighed and buried his face in the pillow. All he could do was wait for the process to finish.
'Why am I feeling like this?' The question echoed in his mind as a strange sensation ran through his body. A light tingling seemed to vibrate through his muscles, completely different from any previous updates to his Falna.
Before, he had never felt anything. Perhaps because his progress had been so small as to be insignificant. But now, perhaps a substantial increase had occurred, and that explained the sensation.
— Hmph… — Hestia huffed disdainfully, interrupting his thoughts.
She picked up a sheet of paper from the nearby desk and pressed it firmly against Luki's back, transcribing the progress with her divine powers.
— How… — he tried to ask, but was interrupted abruptly, the paper being tossed in his face.
— Let this mean something. — Hestia snapped, her voice brimming with impatience. She got off him and sat on the bed, crossing her arms and turning her face in a childish, yet clearly hurt gesture.
Luki watched the goddess for a few seconds, trying to decide whether to laugh or apologize once more. Eventually, he turned his attention to the paper in his hands, determined to analyze the results.
Name: Luki Bryan
Level: 1
Attributes:
(STR): 60 I (+5) = 65 I
(END): 130 H (+238) = 368 F
(DEX): 91 I (+8) = 99 I
(AGI): 86 I (+13) = 99 I
(MAG): 0 I
Skills: None
Spells: None
…
— Ah… thaT is a lot… EndURANce, — Luki muttered, staring at the exorbitant number.
— Hmph. And it better stay that way. From now on, I'll only increase your Endurance until I decide it's enough, — Hestia retorted, still turned away, her cheeks slightly puffed.
— But, Hestia-sama… — He tried to protest, but was cut off.
— You disagree with me? — She glared at him with an intensity that made him swallow hard.
— No, ma'am… — he answered, defeated.
— Very well, then let it stay that way, — she decreed, crossing her arms again, though the flush on her cheeks betrayed a mix of emotions.
Luki sighed, chuckling softly as he looked back at the paper. '238 points… in a single day. That's more than I earned in a week of Dungeoning.' He sighed again. 'But all of it went straight to Endurance… I wish I could focus more on Agility. That would have been much more useful; I could have done everything I did today more efficiently.'
He paused, glancing at Hestia from the corner of his eye. 'But thinking about it, I can't blame her. If it were the other way around and I saw my "child" risking himself and returning injured, I'd probably do the same. She's just worried.'
A tired smile appeared on his face as he continued examining the other attributes. 'Still, the other attributes increased naturally through my effort. That's good. Every point counts on the path to becoming stronger.'
His moment of reflection was interrupted by a characteristic sound from the bed.
— Hmph! — Hestia huffed, slightly louder than necessary, clearly wanting to be noticed.
Curious, Luki lifted his gaze and noticed she was watching him from the corner of her eyes, her gaze shining with something between hurt and pride. Realizing she had been caught, she quickly turned her face, crossed her arms, and huffed again, now with more intensity.
— Hmph!!
Luki continued observing the back of his goddess. Her long black hair cascaded down to her waist, swaying slightly with her movements. With the curve of her chest visible from the sides, something her small body couldn't hide.
He tilted his head, frowning as he thought:
'Does she… want me to do something?' He quickly pushed away any improper thoughts threatening to arise.
— Hestia-sama? — he called cautiously. But she remained still, refusing to respond.
Not giving up, Luki tried again. He knew words wouldn't be enough, especially with the language barrier between them. Still, he did his best, gathering loose words and gestures to try to communicate.
— Look… sorry… I do not know… speak… so… hard… but… — he began, choosing each word carefully.
Hestia didn't move, but the shoulders that had been tense began to relax gradually.
— I… feel… very… worry… you… but… need…
Still without response, he continued, his voice filled with sincerity:
— Orario… dangerous… worry… you… I want… protect…
The words came out disjointed, but the tone of his voice made his meaning clear.
— I… was… dumb… sorry… but I need… get… strong fast… to be safe…
Finally, Hestia let out a deep sigh. She didn't turn around immediately, but her voice came low, heavy with sadness:
— But you don't need to put your life at risk for that… I'm your goddess, a fucking goddess, Luki. I'm the one who should protect you.
Her words echoed in the room, soft enough to feel more like a confession than a response. Luki stayed silent for a few moments, absorbing the weight of what Hestia had said. He felt the sadness and vulnerability hidden in every word.
He took a deep breath before finally responding, struggling against the language barrier to express his feelings.
— Protect… family… Hestia is family… you… not fight… live…
Hestia flinched slightly at those words. Her expression of hurt deepened as she clenched her fists over her lap.
— But what about you? — she replied, her voice quivering. — You're my family too, and I want to protect you… but I can't do that! I'm just a useless goddess! All I can do is sit and wait for you to come back…
Her voice broke at the end, and Luki felt a tightening in his chest. He knew the weight of his words pressed on her, and that was the last thing he wanted.
With a small smile, he set aside the paper with his attributes and began moving. Slowly, he crawled on his knees across the bed until he reached Hestia, still turned away from him. Without hesitation, he enveloped her in a gentle hug from behind, resting his chin atop her head.
— Family… love… not… useful… — he said softly, his words simple but full of meaning.
As he spoke, Luki used one of his hands to stroke Hestia's long black hair. He closed his eyes, savoring the comforting moment, letting his presence convey all that words could not.
What he didn't notice was the impact of his words on Hestia. Her eyes widened, her heart racing.
'Love? Did he just say he loves me?! N-no, I must have misheard! But… he clearly said he loves me…'
Luki's words brought back memories of her conversation with Hephaestus earlier that day. The moment she had finally realized the confusing feeling that had consumed her since Luki entered her life: passion.
'Could it be that he also has feelings for me…'
Unable to contain herself, Hestia turned her head, calling his name suddenly, a little louder than intended.
— Luki!
Surprised, he opened his eyes and loosened the hug slightly, looking at her.
— Hestia-sama?
The goddess's cheeks were deeply flushed, and she seemed to struggle to find the right words.
— Y-y-you… — Hestia stammered, averting her gaze briefly, but soon gathered courage and looked at him again. — You… were serious… w-w-when you said… that?
Confused, Luki tilted his head, trying to understand what she meant.
— That?
Hestia's heart raced so fast she felt like it would explode. Her hands trembled, but she insisted, determined not to back down.
— W-w-when you said… you love me… you were serious?
Her words caught him completely off guard. Luki blinked several times, processing what he had just heard. The initial confusion was soon replaced by silent shock as he connected the dots.
Her stammer, the flush in her cheeks, the eyes shining with a mix of hope, fear, and uncertainty… It all became crystal clear.
'She thinks I confessed?!'
'Now that i think about it... yeah, it sounded a little like a love confession.'
The thought hit him like thunder. As strange as it was, the tension in the air and Hestia's gaze left little room for doubt. She had indeed interpreted his simple words as a declaration of love.
For a moment, Luki considered clarifying the misunderstanding. He could explain that he did love her, yes, but as someone loves family, a friend, a dear and precious person. It was a simple, straightforward solution that would avoid complications.
But then, something unexpected happened. A part of his mind, that more instinctive, less rational part, began to shout louder. For the first time in his life, that inner voice felt incredibly persuasive.
'Is this really a problem?'
Luki found himself hesitating. He looked at Hestia, not only at her figure but at how amazing she was, not just as a goddess, but as a person. It was impossible to deny: she was special.
She was kind, charitable, funny, and humble, qualities that touched him deeply. Her heart was as big as the world, always putting others first, even at the cost of her own happiness. Of course, she had her insecurities, like anyone. But even those little flaws only made her more human, more endearing.
And there was more. Hestia wasn't just kind; she was incredibly beautiful. Her petite stature and small body contrasted with the strength of her presence, a beauty that was unique and irresistible. Her dark, long, shiny hair, her large, radiant eyes…
And, of course, those two "mounds" that seemed challenging even for the tight clothes she wore. It was impossible not to notice, even if he tried to stay focused.
As a man, it was impossible not to be attracted to her. Hestia was, in many ways, the dream woman of anyone.
'She's amazing. How could I not think about it at least once?'
No matter how much he tried to ignore it, the weight of the possibility hung in the air. Perhaps, just perhaps, this wasn't a problem. Maybe Hestia could be more than just a goddess or a maternal figure.
But was he ready to make that decision? And, more importantly, should he?
Hestia, meanwhile, waited for a response, her anxiety clear in her eyes. The silence seemed to stretch on forever as Luki wrestled with himself.
…
— Hestia-sama… I…