I arrived at the home of Hera Familia.
It felt strangely surreal that a place that had once been the home of Loki Familia was now being used by Hera Familia... and, on top of that, Loki Familia was now based in what had once been Hestia Familia's home.
Well, strength aside, buildings didn't multiply on their own. In the end, it might have been only natural for the strongest Familia to use the best home.
"Since we've come this far, I can go the rest of the way by myself. Thank you for seeing me off."
"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I'll definitely pay you back for the snacks."
"Don't say that out on the street, it's embarrassing?!"
She'd gotten so angry over a single snack, and now she was embarrassed if anyone else heard her. What a contradictory person.
"Ahem. Anyway, be careful going in. I'd like to offer you tea if possible, but our Familia is strictly no men..."
Materia looked apologetic and a little flustered. She didn't need to worry about it.
"It's fine. Then I'll be off..."
"Ah, wait a minute."
"Huh?"
Just as I finished saying goodbye and was about to leave, someone's voice suddenly rang out, and a hand came to rest on my shoulder.
Thinking it was a surprise attack, I reflexively tried to knock the arm away—only to find myself standing not on the street, but inside a neat, orderly room.
"Wh-where is this...?"
"My office."
"...?!"
When I turned toward the source of the voice, I saw a goddess seated gracefully at an elegant desk.
The name of the goddess I had recently seen was...
"Hera...?"
The supremely hysterical yandere goddess who could even terrify that old man. Goddess Hera.
"Uh... Lady Hera...?"
"What is it."
"Why am I here...? More importantly, what is this all of a sudden...?"
"I'll explain one thing at a time, so sit down first."
Looking more closely, I saw a chair placed in front of the desk. Its position looked unnatural, as if it had just been brought in moments ago.
Had she planned to call me here from the start? But how could she have known I'd come...
"Why don't you sit down quickly?"
"Ah... yes."
At the goddess's words, I cut off my thoughts for the moment.
Right, I should do as I was told for now. After what I'd seen before, I was far too scared to push back.
Hesitantly, I sat down, and an awkward silence soon drifted through the room.
No, what on earth was this about, summoning me here out of nowhere?
"..."
"..."
Silence hung in the air. Unlike what one would expect from a hysterical goddess, Lady Hera was utterly calm.
Compared to what I had seen before, it was such a difference that calling it heaven and earth wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
"...Um, I—"
"Snacks."
Just as I was about to speak, wondering if I should say something, Lady Hera spoke first.
...Huh? Snacks?
"Snacks. Eat them."
"Huh?"
"I said eat them."
Was that an order? It wasn't exactly an order to die, and being told to eat some snacks wasn't a big deal, but where were the snacks...?
"Huh?"
When I looked where Lady Hera was pointing, I saw a mountain of snacks piled up there.
...What was this, and why were there snacks in a place like that?
Had she prepared them...?
"..."
Lady Hera was watching me in silence again. Under that piercing gaze, I felt pressured and picked up a suitable snack.
It was packaged so it could be opened easily with one hand. I peeled one open and took a bite, and the melting sweetness of the snack ravaged my mouth.
It's sweet?! No, it was delicious. But for someone who didn't really like sweets, it was almost painful. Women might love it, but for my taste it was a little...
"You like sweet things."
"Huh? Ah..."
If I said no here, Lady Hera would probably be offended... but if I said yes, she was a god, so she'd surely see through the lie anyway... Hmm...
"Thank you for preparing snacks for me on purpose...?"
In the end, I could do nothing but give a half-baked answer.
Oh no... was that too vague because I was talking to a god?
The other party was that hysterical goddess Hera. Whatever I said, maybe she was destined to take offense.
"..."
Just as I subtly leaned back, preparing to defend myself at any moment against the goddess's hysteria—
"It wasn't prepared specifically for you. Don't misunderstand."
"Eh...?"
"Eat more."
With that, Lady Hera tossed me a few more snacks.
...What was this situation?
After that, in the heavy silence, I devoured so many sweet snacks my head started to spin. It felt like I'd eaten more snacks today than in my entire life up to now.
Ugh... maybe because I'd eaten too many sweets, my teeth hurt...
But even if I didn't want to eat more, the goddess's eyes were far too fierce. That piercing stare carried such pressure that it felt like if I didn't eat the snacks, she might really pierce me through.
"Eat mo—"
"L-Lady Hera! I'm curious why you suddenly called me here?!"
Before my stomach could give up everything, I hurriedly got to the point first. I was scared of the goddess's hysteria, but if this kept up, I might have to confirm what I'd just eaten with my own eyes.
Eating my fill on snacks... what kind of new torture was this...?
"Ah, I see. I was late in explaining."
Too late, yes. I swallowed the words that almost climbed up my throat and waited for the goddess to continue.
"..."
"..."
But silence returned again. No, seriously, why are you doing this to me?
"Lady Hera...?"
"Hmm..."
The goddess let out a thoughtful hum. She looked as though she was 고민ating something, hesitating, and I could only wait for her to speak.
"Your name was Vesta, was it not?"
"...Yes."
"I see..."
...Huh? That's it?
I waited a little longer in case there was more, but that really was all.
What, did she call me here just to ask my name again?
"Is there anything bothering you?"
"Huh? Like what...?"
"Anything. Your arm, for instance... or your eyes."
I had no idea what she was trying to say. Why was Lady Hera suddenly acting like this toward me?
I'd been summoned out of nowhere, fed a mountain of snacks, and then asked if anything was bothering me.
What kind of situation was this, seriously?
"Uh... not really?"
"Really? There should be at least one thing."
Well, living with one arm did come with a few inconveniences... but why was she asking about that?
"By chance, quite by chance, I happened to get my hands on a prosthetic arm. We don't have anyone in our Familia who can use it, so if you want it, you may take it."
...What now?
A prosthetic arm, all of a sudden? Why a prosthetic arm?
It wasn't like a prosthetic arm was cheap, and if she'd gotten one, couldn't she just sell it or keep it?
Of course, Hera Familia probably had plenty of money, so they wouldn't make a fuss over one prosthetic arm, but that still didn't explain why she'd called me here. Why...
"I won't charge you for it. It would be ridiculous to take money for throwing away trash. In fact, since I'm disposing of something useless for you, I'll even give you some money."
What is this...
"Um... Lady Hera...?"
"What is it. Will you take it now?"
"No... I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of wearing a prosthetic arm."
"...Why not?"
It felt like the temperature in the room had dropped below freezing in an instant.
W-what, scary?! I'd forgotten because she'd been showing only strange sides of herself, but this was the kind of goddess she was.
The hyper-ultra hysterical goddess. She was not the kind of goddess you could simply say no to and expect to be fine!
"Why not?"
Her words were cold, but the anger beneath them was unmistakable.
It was terrifying. So this was why Grandpa had been afraid of her.
Before I knew it, my body shrank back. If we fought, I'd win, but the pressure she was radiating made me feel like I was being crushed. And she wasn't even releasing her divine power... and yet it was already this much...!
"I can't explain it in detail, but..."
If I had wanted a prosthetic arm, I could have gotten one long ago. I had enough money, and enough craftsmen.
But I had refused the offer to wear one. On the surface, I'd turned it down because it would interfere with combat, but...
"If I wear a prosthetic arm and get used to the wound... I feel like the memories from before would start to fade too..."
"..."
Having only one arm was certainly inconvenient. Starting with the fact that I was missing a hand, all sorts of difficulties had bloomed from there.
But because of that, I could remember the days when I had two arms. I could keep from forgetting the time when I had two arms.
Because there was inconvenience now, I could remember the days when I hadn't been inconvenienced.
"If I put on a prosthetic arm and the inconvenience disappears, I think it'll become harder to recall those memories."
Of course, there might come a day when I had to let those memories go. But that day wasn't now.
I was still the kind of person who had to live by repeating my memories to myself.
I was still far too lacking to grow used to the present.
"So I appreciate Lady Hera's offer, but I must decline."
"..."
Lady Hera only fell silent at my words.