Prologue
Warning: The original work of this is not mine. I'm simply continuing the project because it was a really good story, and I plan to carry it on.
++ Tower of Babel ++
Hephaestus' weapon shop was well known far and wide, even outside of Orario. Very few familias could match the work of her children, which made their weapons and armor highly desirable. Although purchases were few and far between, each one sold at such an exorbitant price that even a single sale could make the day profitable.
Of course, that didn't mean the shop could survive on its name alone. They had to appeal to the masses by keeping their weapons and armor polished to attract customers. It was here that a certain goddess of the hearth was working alongside an exiled goddess with deep, clear navy-blue hair.
Hestia, known among the gods as loli-big boobs, was happily humming while dusting the counters and shelves of the shop. She didn't mind the work too much, not after what Hephaestus had done for her and Bell. The thought of the crushing debt she owed momentarily weighed on her, but she brushed it aside. There was no point in dwelling on it—she would pay it off someday… hopefully.
Before Hestia could think further about her debt, the sound of metal hitting the floor made her turn toward her fellow goddess.
"Eeeeek! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Aqua, the goddess of water, bowed repeatedly toward the shop's manager. Hestia couldn't blame her—the bluenette was in charge of polishing the high-end weapons and armor, and her cleaning skills were top-notch when it came to that. Still, if even one of those pieces was damaged… the cost would be astronomical.
"Here, let me help you with that, Aqua," said Hestia kindly as she helped Aqua pick up the fallen armor and weapons. Luckily, the shop wasn't open yet, so they would still have time to put everything back on display.
"Thank you, Hestia…" Aqua murmured to the shorter goddess.
Hestia gave her a reassuring smile, patting her head before continuing to collect the equipment.
Had it really been a month since this minor goddess arrived in the Lower World? Aqua had said she was sent here as punishment with most of her divine powers sealed, though she insisted she was fully capable of forming a familia if she wanted to. It was the first case among the gods, and the fact that Aqua admitted it WAS a punishment was probably why most of the gods refused to shelter her.
After all, those who descended to the Lower World had done so willingly. To call it a punishment raised too many warning bells—even in Hestia's own mind. And yet… once upon a time, she had been like Aqua: no gods to help her, no familia of her own, no home. Only through the grace of Hephaestus had she managed to survive her early years… of course, she had ended up relying too heavily on her friend, but even now, the church where she lived belonged to that same friend.
Aqua, however, had no one. When the gods first began descending to the Lower World, her duties to oversee creation had been handed over to younger and lesser-known deities. Hestia remembered Aqua as a fairly dedicated and responsible goddess. It had been long ago, but Aqua had seemed diligent in her work even back then. What could she have done so wrong to warrant exile?
Hestia could only smile and continue supporting the younger goddess until she stood back up. After all, compared to how long she had once been a burden on her friend, one month was nothing in the long run.
With renewed vigor, the goddess of the hearth helped the goddess of water finish setting up the weapons just in time for opening. Their first customer walked in.
"Welcome!" Hestia and Aqua greeted the first customer of the day with bright smiles.
+++ Lunchtime +++
"Thank you for your purchase, please come again!" Aqua called after the latest customer who had bought food from Hestia's stall. Today's special was croquettes.
The two goddesses were now back in their divine attire—Hestia in her familiar white dress that emphasized her chest, and Aqua in her blue dress that covered her lower half modestly but hinted at more. With the two of them running the stall together, sales had doubled. Hestia could barely keep up with demand.
It was a small business, but manageable with Aqua helping out. Hephaestus had kindly allowed her to work during lunch hours to maximize profit with her food stall, and Aqua had been a huge help. Most of the preparation work was handled by the blue-haired goddess, and not only that—almost everything she touched became purified, giving Hestia's food a fresh taste that couldn't be beaten.
With her workload cut in half, Hestia was able to focus more on customer service, greeting more people to visit the stall.
In time, the lunch rush died down, but theirs was one of the few stalls lucky enough to sell out their entire stock. Turning to her companion, Hestia beamed.
"Sold out again today! Great job, Aqua!" Hestia hugged her fellow goddess in joy.
The blue-haired goddess smiled softly, though she wasn't as enthusiastic as the shorter goddess. Hestia noticed, but it was still a better reaction than when Aqua had first arrived. Back then, after endless crying over someone named "Kazuma" and screaming at the heavens until her voice went hoarse, Aqua would fall into depression and become nearly catatonic. Now, the younger goddess was engaging more with people and slowly coming out of her shell.
Eventually, Aqua would recover just like Hestia once had, and she would find a dependable child like Bell. This was what Hestia believed with all her heart. Aqua would come to realize that what she saw as punishment was actually a blessing.
++ Guild ++
At a certain counter, a short white-haired boy wearing light armor and carrying a black knife had just faced off against a terrifying monster a few days ago. Even so, he couldn't afford to rest—not if he wanted to continue supporting his goddess and her goddess friend, Aqua, the goddess of water, whom they had been sheltering for the past month. Apparently, due to some circumstances, Aqua was in a poor financial state, and Hestia-sama had graciously taken her in as both were very good friends.