— No.
— Pretty please!
— Still no.
— I am literally begging you!
— And I am literally refusing.
— I'm not leaving until you agree to help me!
— Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Let go of me right now!
— No! You can't refuse me like this!
— Hestia, let go of my leg! You demon!
— Only if you promise to do what I asked!
— For the last time: no!
— THEN I WON'T LET GO!
— HESTIA!!!
Outside the office, a few members of the Hephaestus Familia froze in the hallway, exchanging confused looks as the shouting went on behind the door.
— H-hey… you're hearing that too, right?
— Yeah. And I'm trying really hard to pretend I'm not.
— Should we… I don't know, go in?
— Me? Not a chance.
— So… what do we do then?
Before they could decide, the yelling inside got even louder.
— HESTIA! STOP MAKING A SCENE AND LET GO OF MY LEG!
— I'LL ONLY STOP IF YOU HELP ME!
— I ALREADY SAID NO!
— BUUAAAAHH!!! HEPHAESTUS!!! I DON'T WANT TO SEE MY LUKI-KUN DIEEEE!!!
— HESTIA! LET GO! YOU'RE DROOLING ON MY PANTS!!
— BUUAAAHH!!! YOU'RE A HEARTLESS MONSTER!!!
— HESTIAAAAAA!!!
...
— So...
— So?
— Wanna come to my place? I bought a new deck of cards.
— Is your sister gonna be there?
— Go to hell. Just come.
...
[Some time — and many tears, screams, scoldings and knocks on the head later]
Hephaestus and Hestia now sat side by side, with all the civility and serenity two goddesses could possibly fake. No sign at all that, just minutes earlier, the scene had looked like a mix between a Greek tragedy and slapstick comedy.
Well… except for Hestia's swollen, red eyes. And the huge, round lumps on her head.
— Now that you've calmed down — said Hephaestus, calmly sipping tea — can you explain why you're making all this drama?
It's worth mentioning: there was now a tray of tea and some snacks on the table between them — courtesy of the flawless hospitality of the Hephaestus Familia, even in the middle of chaos.
— Well… do you remember that adventurer who joined my Familia? My very first Child?
— Hard to forget. — Hephaestus gave a half-smile. — Even having only seen him once, it's not easy to forget someone so… unique. Not to mention that time a certain goddess came to visit me just to ask "what does it mean when your heart beats weird because of a mortal?"
Hestia blushed slightly at the jab, but the serious mood kept her focused.
— As you can imagine… he became an adventurer. Threw himself into the Dungeon for power, money, and… you know. The whole package.
— And you're afraid something will happen to him. That's why you want me to forge him a weapon for protection.
— No…
— No? — Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, surprised. — Then why?
— Because… something already happened.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
— Ah… I see… so he…
— No! That's not it. He's alive and well. But… his arm… — Hestia swallowed hard. — He hasn't noticed yet, but I saw it. All the bones were crushed. He must have managed to drink a really good potion before things got irreversible… but even so…
— …he'll need an amputation.
— That's right… — Hestia whispered, voice trembling, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. — It's only a matter of time.
— An adventurer on the rise, without an arm? — Hephaestus sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. — He'd be better off abandoning the Dungeon. Maybe becoming a merchant, or finding another way to live…
— That's impossible too. — Hestia sniffled, wiping her eyes. — He won't stop. Not even if I beg. He's already preparing to go back, without even realizing the true state he's in.
— Hestia… if he goes back into the Dungeon like that, he's going to die. Sooner or later. If you really care about him, you should tell him the truth. Show him the state of his arm. Maybe then he'll accept reality.
— It's not that simple… — Hestia murmured, struggling with her words. — He… awakened a skill.
Hephaestus's eyes widened.
— What?! A skill?! But he's been an adventurer for what, a month?
— Exactly! Amazing, right? My Child is—
— Yeah, yeah, I get it, doting mom. Get to the point.
— Hehe… sorry. Khm! You know how skills are born from the deepest desires, right? It's not something you can force.
— Hestia. I've been around longer than you, are you seriously asking me that?
— Sorry! Dumb question… — she scratched her neck awkwardly. — Anyway… his skill is called Tireless Explorer.
— Hm…
— It came from his uncontrollable desire for adventure, excitement, to explore the unknown. It literally embodies his dream.
— So if he's forced to stop…
— The skill will vanish, simple as that. And with it… the spark in his eyes. He was born for this, Hephaestus. He's going back into the Dungeon with or without my blessing… so the least I can do is make sure he comes back alive.
— Hm… I see. — Hephaestus murmured, leaning back. — Truly tragic.
— So… will you help me?
— No.
— W-What?! Why not?! Don't you feel even a little pity?! — Hestia asked, shocked and indignant.
— Don't get me wrong, Hestia. It is sad, a child with so much potential facing something like this… — She sighed. — But like I said: maybe it's better for him to quit. It'll hurt less now than later.
— But he won't quit! — Hestia shouted, her voice echoing through the hall.
— Then make him quit! — Hephaestus stood up abruptly, eyes burning like her forge's fire. — Tie him down. Break his legs. Cut his tendons if you must! Strip him of the Falna! Do something! But stop with this idea of pampering a doomed boy!
— I won't give up on him either!!! — Hestia shot to her feet, eyes blazing with an intense blue light, like celestial embers.
BOOM!
The floor beneath her cracked with a sharp snap, collapsing into a small crater — as if something immensely heavy had just slammed down on that exact spot.
Hephaestus's eyes widened at the sudden surge of divine power, but she quickly frowned and regained composure. This was her house. And she wasn't about to tolerate yelling and emotional theatrics without striking back.
— Tsk… so it's war, then? — she muttered with a half-smile.
Her eyes began to glow with a deep, smoldering red light, like the coals of a roaring forge. Beneath her feet, the floor also began to crack, more controlled but still intense, with a subtle heat radiating through the room.
Between the two, an invisible tension formed. As if colossal forces clashed in silence. The air hissed. The wood creaked. Even space itself seemed to compress.
And then…
The entire mansion shook.
Frames rattled on the walls. Dust fell from the vaulted ceilings. Glass panes vibrated and screeched in their frames, on the verge of shattering.
— W-What's happening?!
— Are we under attack?!
— Lady Hephaestus… she's angry?!
All through the mansion, the Children of Hephaestus panicked, terrified by the sudden surge of divine energy filling the place. Some grabbed weapons. Others hid. And some just prayed the roof wouldn't collapse.
At the center of the storm, in the office, the two goddesses faced off. Unblinking. Unyielding.
Two opposing forces, two unshakable wills, two friends far too stubborn to back down first.
The silence was deafening.
Only the sound of cracking floors and the mansion trembling filled the air.
...
— You really care about that boy, don't you? — Hephaestus finally said, her voice calmer… almost resigned.
And with one last sigh, as if releasing an invisible weight, all the divine pressure emanating from her vanished at once. The heat in the air dissipated. The cracks in the floor sealed as if they had never been. The mansion, once trembling, returned to absolute silence.
Hestia blinked, surprised by the sudden change. Confused, she took a hesitant step back, pulling in her power as well.
— What was that…? — she began, but the answer came before she could finish.
— A test... — said Hephaestus, already walking to her desk. — I just wanted to see if you were really "sooo" as determined as you claimed.
She opened a hidden compartment and pulled out a bottle of expensive wine that was clearly not meant to be shared. She took a swig straight from the neck, like someone recovering from her own performance.
— I hope the folks outside don't make a big fuss about this… — she muttered between gulps, massaging her temples.
Hestia, still gaping, took a few seconds to process.
— WHAT?! You were just testing me?! Are you insane?! What if another god sensed that?!
— Hestia… — Hephaestus rolled her eyes. — Only an idiot would seal their powers so tightly they couldn't notice something like that happening in the same city.
— Then why did you do it?! You'll start a divine war that way!
— Relax. They sensed it… and probably decided it wasn't worth getting involved in our mess. Not like this is the first time…
— Hey!!!
— Am I wrong? Or should I list every time a certain someone lost her temper over something petty?
Hestia pouted, crossing her arms, defeated.
— Fine, fine… maybe I got a little carried away.
— A little? — Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. — You cracked my floor, almost spoiled my wine, and if it weren't for the reinforced wards on the windows, I'd be missing a facade right now.
— …I said maybe.
Hephaestus took another swig and sighed.
— At least now I know you're not joking about this. So… let's talk seriously.
— Wait a second… if all that was just a test, then you… — Hestia said, growing more excited by the second.
— Yes… — Hephaestus said almost as a resigned sigh — I'll help you.
— Hephaestus… THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! — Hestia shouted, throwing herself onto her friend, grabbing her by the waist and bouncing up and down with her in her arms like a ragdoll.
— H-hey! Careful! You'll spill the wine! — Hephaestus warned, tilting the unstable bottle as drops threatened to spill.
Hestia froze for a second, still hugging her.
— Ah! Right! — she whispered frantically, immediately letting go and stepping back, though the giant grin on her face couldn't be hidden. — Sorry! I just… I'm so happy! But I promise I'll behave now! Totally under control! Serious. Mature. Composed.
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
— Serious, huh? — she said, taking another swig of wine, watching the goddess bounce in place, desperately trying to stay still.