Hestia Familia - Sacred Ash Premise Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a brand-new story! It’s Danmachi again! Since the Series still has the stranglehold on my Muse’s throat. But this time, Hestia is Bestia! Our favorite little Shortstack Goddess gets her Bell again! But things are going to change a good deal! Smoldering embers can give rise to new flames! Bell is going to fight, strive, and go after his dream with all he’s got! But there’s nothing that says a man can only have one dream. Scatter the ashes to produce fertile ground, and what you desire may just grow, Bell!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 1 – Sacred Ashes of the Divine Flame

A devastated young man by the name of Bell Cranel nearly collapsed into the chair next to the fireplace in the cabin he and his grandpa called home.

The Village Headman had come to deliver terrible news to him. His grandfather, the only family he had in the world, was gone. The hunting party he’d gone with had been caught up in a small landslide and his grandfather had pushed the other men to safety, only to then be caught up in the moving earth and carried over a cliff. The deep ravine below had a fast-flowing river too, which prevented the men from being able to find the older man’s body.

Bell had felt hollow for hours after receiving the news. In his mind he kept running through different scenarios. He should’ve gone with them. If he was there, then he could’ve saved his grandpa…he could’ve…he could’ve done something…. In this state of grief and cyclical thinking, running through ‘what ifs’ and ‘I should haves’, interspersed with bouts of tears and deep sadness that made it hard to get out of bed in the mornings; Bell slowly mourned for the loss of his grandfather, the only person he had in the world. His family was gone.

Coming to terms with this new reality sparked a new desire in Bell Cranel. If he was the last of his family, then he’d have to find a new one, and make his own one day.

‘Follow your dream, Bell! Women love Heroes!’ His grandfather’s voice rang out in his mind, bringing the first small smile back to Bell’s face since he’d received the horrible news. For all of his grandpa’s noble qualities, the man was an unrepentant pervert and appreciator of the female form. Life slowly returned to Bell’s rubellite eyes as he remembered his grandfather. Slowly, but surely, Bell stopped focusing solely on the loss of his grandpa and started to celebrate the man’s life. He’d been with Bell for as long as the young man could remember and had made his life fun and taught him so much. There was far more to smile about than the loss of the kind, old man could overshadow.

“I’m going to do it, grandpa.” Bell decided, looking at the few books that his grandfather had left him, all of them Heroic Tales. “I’m going to be a Hero!”

But first, he needed a bath.

His bout of depression over his grandfather’s death had made him nearly stop taking care of himself. His white hair was dirty from not being washed. His clothes were the same ones he’d been wearing for the last couple of days too. With a shake of his head, Bell set about getting himself back to normal so that he could head for the one place in the world that could make his dream come true.

-Weeks Later ~ Dungeon City, Orario-

Bell had been traveling with a merchant caravan for the last couple of weeks from his remote farming village. He’d made money by selling all of the goods that he and his grandfather had, along with their cabin. He’d only kept a few very meaningful mementos from his grandfather’s things, and a few supplies for the journey. The young man had hiked down the forested mountain and crossed a large expanse of sparsely wooded grasslands before reaching the next town along an often used trade route. There he’d bought passage on a merchant convoy headed for the Dungeon City. Along the way, Bell had watched the hired guards deal with any small Monsters that tried to attack, usually Goblins, and daydreamed about doing the same once he became an Adventurer.

“Finally here.” Bell grinned up at Babel Tower, standing imposingly in the center of the sprawling, walled city.

Orario was everything that Bell had imagined and more! So many people of all different Races and cultures! Humans, Prums, Beastmen of more types than Bell knew existed, Dwarves, Elves, Amazons, and so many beautiful women too!

His grandpa may have rubbed off on him over the years.

“All right…now, I just have to find a Familia and then register as an Adventurer; according to the guards at the gate.” Bell mumbled to himself as he started walking down the large street. The various Deities that called Orario home were spread out, having homes wherever they pleased, apparently. Now it was just a matter of finding them.

Only that was a little harder than he’d initially thought.

For a full a week Bell had circled Orario looking for any Familia that would have him. He’d tried all of the big Familias first, of course. When that hadn’t worked out, he’d started heading to the mid-sized Familias…and then the small Familias. Bell was denied time and time again. A few had literally slammed the door in his face! He was running out of Valis and would soon be unable to afford the cheap room he was renting. Once he ended up on the streets, he was certain that would be the end of his dream to become a Hero as his grandfather had always encouraged him.

Unbeknownst to him, Bell had attracted the attention of someone that was almost as mentally defeated as he was. The person was a beautiful and petite Goddess with a youthful appearance. She had blue eyes and mid-thigh length black hair tied into twin-tails that fell down her back. She had a short stature, only being about 140cm tall, which emphasized her breasts, waist, and hips…leading to other Deities giving her the nickname of ‘Loli Big Boobs’, which annoyed her to no end. She wore a white mini dress with a blue ribbon around her neck and one tied under her breasts around her arms, a pair of white gloves covered her hands up to mid forearm, and on her feet were simple white flipflops.

‘No luck again, huh?’ The Goddess felt bad for the young man. She’d watched him get rejected over and over again for the last two hours. It reminded her of her own failings at starting her Familia; having already been rejected fifty times. ‘Maybe I’ll try…just one more time…’ The Goddess mustered up her courage as she began to approach the young man.

Bell was sitting on the ground in an alleyway after having just been rejected by another Familia. He wouldn’t be able to stay another two days in his rented room. His time was running out to find a Familia. The laughter and mocking had taken their toll on the young man over the last week.

“Hello, young man.” The Goddess called out to the white-haired teen with a gentle smile on her face. “Are you looking for a Familia?”

“Beautiful…” Bell spoke without thinking at all.

This was a Goddess; Bell could literally feel it. The Gods and Goddesses exuded a natural Divine Aura at all times, unless they chose to hide it. All of the children -that was to say Mortals- could pick up on this aura. There was no faking being a Deity.

“Thank you.” The Goddess graced him with a beautiful smile for his compliment, even as he stared up at her from his place on the ground. She held out a hand to him and after a moment, Bell grasped it. Her other hand came to clasp over his and he placed his other hand atop hers. Bell felt the instant that warmth bloomed in his chest as they smiled at each other. “My name is Hestia.”

‘My Goddess.’ Bell thought as he smiled at Hestia.

That was how Bell became the very first member of the Hestia Familia.

From there, Hestia led Bell towards a bookstore, the two walking hand-in-hand the entire way. Hestia greeted the older man behind the counter with familiarity as she led Bell upstairs and to a reading room. Bell wondered if this was Hestia’s home, or just a place that she frequented often. It certainly didn’t seem to be anything more than a bookstore from what he’d seen.

“Now, Bell, let’s give you a Blessing.” Hestia smiled at her first Familia member.

“Yes!” Bell beamed back and Hestia felt her heart thump in her chest at that smile.

“Alright, take off your shirt and lay on the couch.” Hestia instructed, making Bell blink at the Goddess.

“What?” Bell questioned, confused.

“You need to lie down on your stomach with your back fully exposed so that I can write the hieroglyphs of the Falna into your back.” Hestia explained simply as she pointed at the couch against one wall of the reading room.

“Alright…” Bell didn’t know that was the process of receiving a Falna, but she was the Goddess here. He removed his shirt, revealing semi-pale skin and a body that was used to farm work. He lay down on his stomach and waited for the process to begin. He wasn’t expecting Hestia to straddle him and then sit on him though! “G-Goddess?!”

“Hmm? Are you okay, Bell?” Hestia questioned him curiously. “I’m about to draw the hieroglyphs of your Falna, so try not to move too much, alright?”

“Y-Yes, Goddess.” Bell could feel his ace heating up, but held still as he felt Hestia’s bare hands on his back. ‘She must’ve taken off her gloves.’ He noted before he felt a drop of something hit his back. A glowing light appeared in his peripheral vision, emanating from his own back as the Goddess worked.

For almost a full minute Hestia’s hands ran over his back. Her soft skin against his own was like nothing Bell had ever experienced before. He was a healthy young man with a beautiful Goddess straddling him and running her hands over his back. He could be forgiven for the dopey smile he had on his face!

‘I know exactly what to make the symbol of my Falna.’ Hestia smiled as she traced the shape of a hearth and fire onto Bell’s back. After the basic shape was made, she wrote in the hieroglyphs that would make up Bell’s Status. A place for his name, his level, his Basic Abilities, a place for Skills to manifest, another for Developmental Abilities, and two slots for Magic were able to be added, which hinted that Bell had at least some aptitude for Magic in the future. With the Falna complete, Hestia pushed a tiny scrap of her Divinity into it and watched her Falna appear on Bell’s back like a tattoo that had been inked by a master artist.

Bell noticed when the light faded away and felt when a piece of paper was placed on his back for a few seconds. When Hestia moved off of him, she took the paper with her. Bell sat up a moment later and saw Hestia looking over the paper. With a nod of satisfaction, she handed the paper to Bell.

“Welcome to my Familia, Bell!” Hestia beamed at him and Bell took the paper into his hands.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0

Endurance – I 0

Dexterity – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“My Status…” Bell’s hands shook slightly as he finished reading the paper. “My own Blessing.” He felt tears of joy well up in the corners of his eyes.

“Bell?” Hestia looked concerned only to blush when Bell wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “Bell?!”

“Thank you, Goddess Hestia! Thank you so much!” Bell hugged his Goddess warmly, but gently so as not to hurt her.

“Thank you, Bell, for becoming my first Familia member.” Hestia smiled as she returned the hug, snuggling a little into Bell’s arms.

The two had left the bookstore a short time later. Hestia had led Bell to a rundown church in the abandoned district of Orario. Showing him the hidden basement that she lived in had been a shock to the Bell, but he accepted it easily. Gods and Goddesses were taken care of by their Familia. Without a Familia of her own, Hestia had to do her own work or she would have nothing to eat. She’d mentioned that she’d been staying with another Goddess from her Pantheon since she descended to Gekai. Apparently, she’d overstayed her welcome and her somewhat lazy habits had gotten on her niece’s nerves. The abandoned church and the plot of land it sat on had been the last act of charity from that same Goddess niece.

Bell spent the rest of the day getting familiar with his new home and bringing over the small amount of things he had from his rented room in the cheap inn. He insisted that he’d sleep on one of the two couches while Hestia slept in the only bed, since she was a Goddess.

Watching Hestia cook their dinner was relaxing for Bell as he sat on the couch. It looked so simple and yet every move was masterful and focused on making the food as delicious as possible. Hestia didn’t have much in the way of food, her job selling Jagamarukun didn’t pay a lot…but she had potatoes and some vegetables that were cheap at the market, along with salt, pepper, and some basic herbs and spices.

“Dinner is ready!” Hestia beamed at Bell as she plated their food and set it on the table.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell smiled aback as he sat down. The first bite made Bell’s eyes widen. “It’s so good!” He nearly forgot all manners as he started eating quickly.

“Oh, come on… It’s nothing special; just some roasted potatoes and vegetables.” Hestia shook her head at Bell; but there was a warm smile on her lips from the compliment.

“It’s delicious!” Bell disagreed as he continued to eat. “You’re an amazing cook, Goddess!”

“Hehehe…thank you, Bell.” Hestia giggled at the genuine praise.

“Goddess?” Bell finished his meal in record time. “If it’s not impolite… Could you tell me about yourself?”

“About me?” Hestia pointed at herself, a curious look on her face.

“Yes.” Bell nodded with a smile. “I want to know more about you. What’re your Domains? What do you like to do for fun? Stuff like that.”

“Oh,” Hestia felt some giddiness build up inside at how interested Bell was. It seemed that their relationship would be quite friendly. “I don’t mind.” She smiled warmly at him. “But only if you tell me more about yourself too, Bell.”

“Of course, Goddess.” Bell agreed easily, eager to know more about his Goddess.

Hestia could barely hold in her giggles at how eager Bell was. It was refreshing to have someone so interested in her. “Well, my Domains are the Hearth, Home, and Family. I also preside over the Immortal Flame, though some call it the Divine Flame, or the Flame of Creation. Fire is linked to the Hearth, which is the focal point of the Home, and the home is where Family resides.”

“All of your Domains are connected.” Bell understood what Hestia was saying. “What’s the Immortal Flame, though?”

“It’s a protective fire, one that provides warmth, keeps away the cold, and allows those near it to rest and recover. It cleanses all that’re near it, removing that which harms them. The flame is warmth and life, creation and purification in its simplest and most basic form.” Hestia described the Divine Flame to Bell with a smile.

“Wow…” Bell could only marvel at the description of the Sacred Flame.

“So, Bell, tell me about yourself.” Hestia grinned at him. “Where have you lived and what made you come to Orario?”

“Well, I grew up in a remote farming village in the mountains…” Bell began to tell Hestia about himself and his life before coming to Orario. Hestia listened intently to her first Familia member, wanting to know everything that she could about Bell.

The two would talk somewhat late into the night before getting to bed. Bell found out that the small door on one side of the basement led to a bathroom with a shower and small tub, a sink, and a toilet. It felt good to wash up with the warm water, and Bell settled onto the couch for the night with a blanket and a smile. Their Familia might be small and new right now, but he’d make it one of the best in Orario one day. He’d already promised Hestia that he would!

-Guild ~The Next Morning-

“Hello, how may I help you today?” The Cat man behind the counter asked politely.

“Hello, I’m new to Orario and I wanted to become an Adventurer.” Bell informed him with a polite tone.

“Ah, I see, well we’ll need to get the paperwork done to register you.” The man reached under the desk and pulled out a set of forms. “Do you have a Familia yet?”

Bell nodded to the man, a small smile appearing on his face as he thought about Hestia. “Lady Hestia accepted me and made me the Captain of her Familia.”

“All right then, please fill out these forms.” The Cat man gave him a polite smile before placing an odd item on the counter. “If you could, please place your hand on this so that we may confirm your Falna.” He placed a flat wooden tablet with what looked like a crystal set into it on the counter.

“What’s that?” Bell looked at the device curiously.

“A Divinity Sensor.” The man explained patiently. “If you place your hand on it without having a Falna, nothing happens. If you do have a Falna, the crystal lights up for a few moments. We can’t let unblessed people enter the Dungeon, because it’s basically suicide. I’m sure you understand?” That particular rule had been put in place after several hundred deaths over the years from unblessed people filling the role of Supporter.

“That makes sense.” Bell nodded and placed his hand on the device. A second later and the crystal lit up with a light blue glow for several seconds.

“Falna, confirmed.” The Cat man nodded and began helping Bell finish the paperwork for his registration. When he got to the line for Familia, Bell happily wrote ‘Hestia Familia’ onto the blank line of the form.

Once the paperwork was done, Bell was offered to buy some Average Grade equipment from the Guild. It was a limited selection, but the Guild sold it for a discounted price to new Adventurers. Bell ended up purchasing a piece of light armor for his chest and a shortsword. The armor cost 3,000 Valis and the shortsword 4,000 Valis, but thanks to Hestia giving him most of the money she’d been able to save from her job, on top of basically every Valis that Bell had left, he’d been able to afford it…barely.

‘We’re in the red right now, but I’ll work hard to bring in money from the Dungeon!’ Bell nodded to his thoughts. It was the absolute least that he could do for Hestia, the beautiful Goddess that had taken him in.

“You’re required to go through a lesson about the Dungeon from one of the Advisors. Do you have a preference for who you’d like to advise you?” The Cat man questioned Bell.

“Oh…um…maybe a woman?” Bell chuckled and looked off to the side.

“I see.” The Cat man chuckled and flipped through a few papers. “I’ll guide you to one of the lecture rooms, your Advisor will meet you shortly.”

Bell met his new Advisor a few minutes later, a lovely young woman by the name of Anna Claes. She had long, waist-length flax-hair, blue eyes, and a cute face. Like the rest of the staff, she wore the Guild uniform, a long-sleeved, white, button-up shirt, a black vest, black pants, and dress shoes on her feet. She carried a stack of papers in her arms and set them on the table with a smile.

Anna and Bell got along easily, Bell being polite and Anna (who was a couple years older) quickly taking on a big sister role for the newbie Adventurer.

What followed was almost two hours of learning everything that an Adventurer had to know about the profession. How the Guild worked, the Exchange where ALL Magic Stones had to be turned in within Orario, as selling them anywhere else was technically illegal. How the exchange of Drop Items worked, what merchants or Mercantile Familias had good trust with the Guild if he wanted to try making more money by selling to them instead. The Weapon and Armor Grading System, which had seven levels from Inferior Grade (used items) all the way up to Legendary Grade (unique masterworks forged by High Smiths that could cost hundreds of millions). Then to the first four Floors of the Dungeon and the Monsters found there. Bell learned where the Magic Stones for Goblins, Kobolds, and Dungeon Lizards were located, how each Monster attacked, and which ones were most often found in groups (Kobolds, followed by Goblins, with Dungeon Lizards mostly being solitary).

Needless to say, by the time Anna was done with the lessons, Bell’s head hurt a little and his brain was full. Regardless, he followed her advice and bought a map of the Upper Floors of the Dungeon so that he could navigate with some reliability. Strapping his armor on and putting the sheathed shortsword on his waist, Bell headed for Babel Tower and the Dungeon.

-Dungeon-

“Wow, it’s massive, and there are so many Adventurers.” Bell walked along with the crowd as he headed for the Dungeon entrance for the first time. Heading down a long spiraling staircase with the huge crowd of Adventurers, the white-haired young man took a deep breath to settle his nerves. With his dream of being an Adventurer in mind, along with his desire to become a Hero in his heart, Bell entered the Dungeon for the first time.

Following the map of the First Floor, Bell headed away from the main route that would lead towards the stairs to the Second Floor. Following the corridors, he took one turn, then another, before following a long and mostly straight corridor into a decent sized cavern. It was there he spotted his first Dungeon monster.

“A Goblin!” Bell noted the green creature. It was short, a bit less than half of Bell’s height, had clawed hands, sharp teeth, and deep-red eyes with no pupil. A Goblin being his first monster almost seemed fitting to Bell. Not only were they the weakest monsters in the Dungeon, but he’d almost been killed by one when he was just a little boy. His grandpa had saved him back then, but now Bell was an Adventurer and he’d take out this Goblin himself!

“Graaah!” The Goblin snarled as it rushed at him with claws raised to strike. Bell answered its charge with his own and the shorter creature quickly lost out. The new Adventurer only had to take advantage of his greater range, which was further extended by the shortsword. The blade passed through the Goblin’s neck and severed its head. The body collapsed onto the stone floor while the head rolled for a short distance before stopping.

Taking a moment to blink and realize that he’d won; Bell smiled at his first successful kill in the Dungeon. Sure it was only a Goblin, the weakest of the weak, but it was the start of his path to becoming the Hero that he’d always dreamed about! Now all he had to do was retrieve the Magic Stone.

It was a shame that Goblin Fangs, the Drop Item of Goblins, didn’t drop too often; the fledgling Hestia Familia could certainly use the extra Valis. A quick slice with his old knife (that he’d brought from the village) opened up the Goblin’s chest and there, right next to the heart, was the tiny purple Magic Stone. It wasn’t anything impressive at all, you couldn’t even see the swirling magic energy inside like you could with larger Magic Stones. But to Bell, it was the first thing he’d earned for his Familia! For Hestia! He removed the stone from the corpse with the tip of his knife and placed the fragment into a small leather pouch on his hip.

A cracking sound caught Bell’s attention and he watched as another Goblin emerged from the Dungeon wall. The new Goblin’s eyes snapped open as it pulled itself free of the wall and turned to face Bell. The Adventurer and Goblin stared at each other for a moment before the Goblin charged at Bell with a growl. The same swing, this time from the left instead of the right, once mores decapitated the Goblin. Bell marveled that such a basic weapon was so well-made in Orario. He cleaned the blade with a sharp flick of the shortsword and then set about extracting the tiny Magic Stone. Once he added the second little stone to the leather pouch on his hip, Bell continued on his way through the Dungeon.

-Later-

“Maybe like this?” Bell guessed as he thrust his shortsword forward and impaled the Kobold lunging at him. He’d only play fought with the other boys in the village using sticks growing up, so he had no real combat experience or weapon handling skills. He was trying out everything he’d ever thought of with each new Monster he ran into.

“Gak!” The Kobold coughed up blood as Bell’s unexpected thrust had stabbed it straight in the neck. When Bell jerked the shortsword free, the Monster collapsed to the ground as a puddle of blood slowly formed under it.

“Kobolds are definitely faster than Goblins.” Bell remarked as he flipped the Kobold over so that he could extract its Magic Stone. “But because their about human size, it opens up different ways to attack them.” He noted as he cut open the dog-headed Monster’s chest and extracted the small, purple stone within.

Once he placed the Magic Stone into the leather pouch on his hip, Bell moved along to continue his day.

-Later-

“Ow!” Bell hissed as a Kobold’s claws grazed him, drawing blood on his left arm. “Yah!” He slashed the Monster across the stomach, nearly gutting the beast in a spray of blood.

“Ggrraagghghgh…” The Kobold staggered forward two steps before hitting the ground dead.

“Damn, that stings.” Bell grumbled as he looked at the injury. “It’s not as bad as I thought though.” The cuts had drawn blood, but they weren’t especially deep. “Good thing I was on my way back.”

Bell had almost a full day in the Dungeon and it showed. He’d hunted and killed as many Monsters as he could, slowly teaching himself the best ways to kill Goblins and Kobolds with his shortsword. His effort was rewarded with a leather pouch that was filled to bursting with small Magic Stones. The best part was, he hadn’t stopped there and had even started putting the small purple stones into his thin backpack. It was old, but reliable, having easily made the trip from the village and to Orario without any issues. The bottom of the backpack was filled with more Magic Stones and Bell felt a little proud of his accomplishment.

-Guild Exchange-

“Place your Magic Stones in the tray, please.” The man on the other side of the glass requested, easily able to tell that Bell was a newbie.

Bell upended the pouch, nearly filling the tray. Then he shrugged off the backpack and poured out the remaining Magic Stones, which overfilled the tray slightly. After taking a handful of the small stones out, the tray was pulled onto the Guild employee’s side and emptied. When the tray was pushed back onto Bell’s side, he placed the handful of Magic Stones into it and pushed it back onto the other side of the glass.

The Guild employee placed the collection of Magic Stones on a scale to weigh. He noted the weight, checked another piece of paper, and then wrote something down in the ledger in front of him. “Your Magic Stones were worth 9,148 Valis. Not bad for your very first day, kid. Keep it up!” The man encouraged the newbie as he placed the various Valis coins into the tray and pushed it back onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you very much, sir.” Bell nodded to the man as he happily took the Valis from the tray and put them in the leather pouch. He couldn’t wait to tell Hestia about how much money he’d made today!

But first he had to make his report to Anna.

“Bell, you’re injured!” Anna had fretted over him like a concerned sister until he showed her that the scratches weren’t so bad.

From there it had just been recounting his day to Anna before heading home, the report would be stored in a file kept on Bell by the Guild so that they could keep track of his progress through the Dungeon.

-Abandoned Church-

“Goddess, I’m home!” Bell called out as he descended the stairs into the hidden basement.

“Bell!” Hestia smiled brightly at him. “Are you okay? I was worried because you were so eager to head into the Dungeon.”

“I’m fine, Goddess.” Bell smiled back at her. “Miss Anna, my Advisor, gave me great advice and I stayed on the first floor. I got a little scratched up, but it wasn’t too bad.” He showed her the claw marks on his left arm

“You got injured?!” Hestia quickly, but gently, took his arm in both hands, looking it over. “You’re right, this isn’t too bad, but we’ll wash it and wrap it up so that it can heal easily tonight.” She nodded to herself. “You’ll be good to go in the morning.”

“This will heal that fast?” Bell blinked at the injury.

Hestia smiled at him warmly. “Being Blessed means that you heal a bit faster than non-blessed people, Bell. A little perk you could say.”

“Amazing.” Bell smiled at his Goddess. “It was worth the injury though! I think I did pretty good today in the Dungeon!”

“That’s great, Bell.” Hestia congratulated her only Familia member. “How much did you make?”

“9,148 Valis!” Bell grinned proudly as he handed the leather pouch to Hestia.

“Really!” Hestia gasped as she opened the pouch and saw the coins inside. “You’re amazing, Bell!” She beamed at him in joy.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell couldn’t help the smile on his face. He was just too happy! He also felt the same pride from before at successfully making it through the Dungeon. If he kept up like this, then he and Hestia would be much better off in time.

“Let’s update your Status, Bell!” Hestia grinned as she placed the pouch on the table. “As your Goddess, I have to do everything I can to support you too!”

“Yes, Goddess!” Bell removed his armor and then took off his jacket. He was so excited to see how his stats had increased after his first day of dungeon crawling. Removing his black shirt he laid on the bed and felt Hestia straddle his lower back again. Knowing that this was just how Hestia worked on his Falna didn’t remove the happy grin on his face in the slightest.

“Alright, here we go.” Hestia removed her gloves and then took a needle out. She pricked her right index finger and let a single drop of her blood fall onto Bell’s hieroglyph-covered back. The blue-white light glowed and Hestia looked through Bell’s experiences, his Excelia, to see his growth and how much his Falna would grow from them. “Hmm, not bad, I think. You’ve made your first improvements, Bell.”

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell smiled into the pillow as he felt Hestia’s soft hands on his back. In just a few moments the process was complete and Hestia moved off him with a paper in her hands again. “Everything went up a bit this time, but as a newly Blessed Adventurer, that’s supposed to be normal.” She handed him the paper to let him see his updated Status.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0 > I 10

Endurance – I 0 > I 7

Dexterity – I 0 > I 10

Agility – I 0 > I 9

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“Thirty-six points in one day…is that good?” Bell asked after looking over the update.

“You were basically teaching yourself all day, Bell.” Hestia remarked with a soft smile. “I’d say you did amazing for your first day.”

“Thank you, Goddess. I’ll keep doing my best!” Bell promised as he went to get a shower while Hestia prepared their dinner. It would be another simple meal, but Bell would devour it quickly with nothing but praise for his Goddess.

-Dungeon ~ Next Morning-

“Alright, let’s try and get even more Magic Stones today!” Bell smiled as he moved through the corridors of the First Floor. His shortsword was at the ready in case of any sudden surprises, his senses were sharp, looking for any movement and listening for the slightest of noises.

“Gereh?!” A Goblin rounded the corner and stumbled backwards as it nearly ran into Bell.

“Hup!” Bell cut the Goblin down with his shortsword before it could get its bearings and attack him. The small Monster hit the stone floor, dead, blood pooling from the large laceration across its torso. “That’s one.” Bell smiled as he kneeled down to quickly harvest the Magic Stone with his knife.

-Later-

“Forty-seven!” Bell cut through a Kobold’s throat with his shortsword. “Forty-eight!” The second Kobold was nearly bisected at the waist as Bell spun and put his bodyweight behind his next swing. “Forty-nine!” He stabbed the third Kobold in the stomach and then slashed the shortsword sideways, opening up a massive wound in the Monster’s gut. “Fifty!” The final Kobold of the pack of four got the blade slashed through its collarbone and lodged into its sternum. Bell let the dead weight of the body free his shortsword as the Monster fell to the ground.

A pack of four Kobolds and Bell had won, on his second day!

“Ow, ow…damn that hurts.” Bell grimaced at the multiple cuts he’d taken from the four Monsters. He’d had to run, duck, parry, dodge, and counter to finally win…but he’d taken his fair share of injuries from the unfavorable odds. “I’m going to need a new jacket soon.” He saw the various small tears in the sleeves. Thankfully his single piece of light armor had protected his chest well, the claws of the Kobolds having scratched it here and there when Bell’s amateur defense had been lacking. “Four more Magic Stones for me.” He pushed past the pain as he started harvesting the Magic Stones. One by one the Kobolds turned to white ash after their stones were removed. But on the fourth Kobold, something else was left behind.

One of the Kobolds black claws lay among the white ash on the stone floor.

“A Drop Item!” Bell cheered at getting one for the first time. “Put that in the backpack!” He took the Kobold Nail and placed it away for safekeeping. “Let’s keep going!” Bell was determined to get stronger and do better in the Dungeon. For the sake of his dream, and for his Goddess!

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones are worth 9,374 Valis and the Kobold Nail was worth 900 Valis. Your total exchange today is 10,274 Valis.” The Hume Bunny woman smiled as she pushed the tray of Valis coins back onto Bell’s side of the glass. “Have a nice day.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell gave a smile as he collected the money and put it in his leather hip pouch. Now he just needed to give Anna his report and he could head home.

“Bell!” Anna’s voice was clearly heard in the Guild as she lightly admonished her new Adventurer for the injuries he’d sustained. Hearing that he’d fought a pack of four Kobolds went a long way to explaining why he was roughed up though.

-Abandoned Church-

“Bell?!” Hestia was naturally worried as soon as she saw Bell’s rough state. She sat him down and had him take off his armor, jacket, and shirt as she went to get some small bandages and medicinal ointment.

“Did you always have these, Goddess?” Bell questioned as Hestia took care of his injuries.

“I used some of the money that you made yesterday to buy some necessities.” Hestia informed him with a smile. “That includes first-aid things like bandages and medicine.”

“And food?” Bell breathed deeply with a smile. “Something smells amazing!”

“You’ll love this, Bell!” Hestia grinned as she pointed at the table where grilled meat, vegetables, and bread were set out on two plates. “While I was out, I did a little grocery shopping and got us some good food tonight!”

“It smells great, Goddess!” Bell praised her and Hestia giggled happily. “I’m ready to eat!” Bell declared only to be pushed towards the sink.

“Wash your hands first, Mister!” Hestia chided him playfully. Bell chuckled as he did so.

After dinner, Hestia once again updated Bell’s Status. The white-haired young man couldn’t help but enjoy it. Once again, he’d get to see his growth! The fact that Hestia, a beautiful Goddess, straddled him while doing so was just a very nice bonus.

“You’re growing well; at least I think so, Bell.” Hestia really didn’t have any experience for this, as she’d never given her Blessing to anyone before and wasn’t one-hundred percent on the full workings of it. ‘Maybe I can ask Hephaestus about it? I want to make sure that I’m doing the very best I can for Bell.’ She mused and placed a blank paper onto Bell’s back to copy over the newly updated information.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 10 > I 21

Endurance – I 7 > I 18

Dexterity – I 10 > I 20

Agility – I 9 > I 19

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“Hmm, my Endurance went up a bit more this time.” Bell noticed the increase and was fairly sure he knew why.

“Taking damage will make your Endurance increase to protect you in the future, Bell.” Hestia explained the increased stat to him. “You can also raise it by pushing your body hard during training and the like. The strain will go toward your Excelia for that stat and you’ll build up your stamina that way as well.”

“Do you think I’ll get a Skill, or maybe even Magic soon, Goddess?” Bell asked with excitement in his rubellite eyes.

“Skills are supposed to come in time, based on your desires and your actions.” Hestia answered the first part of his question. “Magic is trickier because anyone with a Falna can utilize Magic, but only those who study hard usually acquire spells with any regularity. Humans don’t have innate Magic, so they have to rely on acquired Magic from their Falna and their own efforts. If you spent a lot of time reading and studying, then you might be more likely to acquire Magic through the Falna…maybe.” She saw some of the excitement leave his eyes and moved over to give him a side-hug.

“I guess I’ll just have to see what happens, huh?” Bell shrugged and leaned into Hestia’s hug.

“I’ll do everything I can to help you, Bell, I promise.” Hestia leaned into him with a warm smile.

-Miach Familia Home ~ Blue Pharmacy-

It was the morning of Bell’s third day as an Adventurer when he entered the Blue Pharmacy to buy his first potions. “Are you Lord Miach?” He asked the God standing behind the counter.

“Indeed I am. I take it you’re Hestia’s first Familia member, Bell?” The God known as Miach smiled at the white-haired and red-eyed young man. Hestia was right; he did look a bit like a rabbit. Miach had long dark-blue hair and matching dark-blue eyes. He wore a simple black robe; a tan stole that reached down past his shoulders, and sturdy brown shoes. He spoke with an accent that Bell had never heard before, yet the friendly tone in the God’s voice made it pleasant.

“Yes,” Bell gave the God a short bow. “Hestia told me of the Deities that she’s friends with and said I might want to meet you to get some potions for emergencies since I’ve been making good money in the Dungeon.”

“A good idea,” Miach nodded with a gentle smile. “You never know what could happen in the Dungeon. A potion to heal injuries at the right time can make all the difference. Not to mention things like antidotes for getting rid of poison or Mind potions to restore lost Mind.”

“Hmm, how much are the cheapest potions?” Bell asked as he looked over the various stoppered vials on display.

“500 Valis for one, if you buy five the fifth one is free.” Miach informed the new Adventurer.

“Hmm, five for 2,000 Valis doesn’t sound bad.” Bell thought it over for a moment. “I’ll take five then.” He decided, and handed the Miach the Valis. A cute Chienthrope woman collected five of the light-blue potions and handed them over.

“Thank you for your business, Bell.” Miach grinned at the boy. “This is Naaza Erisuis, the Captain of my Familia. She works the front desk while I work in the back usually. I hope you two will get along.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Naaza.” Bell shook the woman’s hand with a smile.

“Likewise, Bell, I hope you’ll continue to buy potions from us in the future.” Naaza gave him a soft smile. The white-haired young man thought her dog-like ears were fluffy and cute. He really hoped she didn’t notice him looking at them. That might be embarrassing if she got the wrong idea. ‘Resist the urge to touch the fluffy ears.’

Bell left the Pharmacy with his new potions safely stored in his backpack. He felt like he’d made a good first impression on Miach and his Familia. Now he’d just have to make time to try and meet Hephaestus, if he could. At the very least he could check out her shop near the Guild and hope that she happened to be there one time. It was on the street he took to and from the Dungeon every day, so it wasn’t as if he had to go out of his way to visit. He did a little window shopping, checking out the weapons, and balked at the price of one of the daggers in the window display!

“800,000 Valis! That’s nuts!” Bell nearly gaped at the price of a single weapon. He’d really like to have that weapon in the display window, but it would take him quite a while to save up enough for it. That was assuming that he and Hestia didn’t spend a single Valis for a while too, which simply wasn’t possible for the tiny Hestia Familia. Still…it didn’t hurt to look. Looking was free after all. Bell didn’t get to see Hephaestus, she wasn’t at that particular shop today, but he figured he had plenty of time.

-Dungeon ~ Second Floor-

“Take that!” Bell spun and nearly decapitated a Kobold. The Monster’s neck sprayed a large amount of blood before it dropped to the ground dead. With some experience under his belt now, Bell easily removed the Magic Stone from the slain Kobold’s chest and watched it disperse. He blinked when he noticed something was left behind.

“A Drop Item! Yes!” Bell cheered as he picked up the Kobold Nail and placed it into his backpack. Drop Items were harder to come by without a good Supporter. They could focus on harvesting the dead Monsters while an Adventurer like Bell fought more. “Still, two in two days is lucky!”

Bell continued on his way until he entered into another corridor and stopped dead.

“Grah?”

“Greeah!”

“Raaahh!”

Goblins…a lot of Goblins…ten from Bell’s count…were crossing the cavern when Bell had stepped into it.

“Shit.” Bell summed up his situation fairly well as he readied his shortsword.

“KREEE!!!” The Goblins let out a screech as they rushed him all at once.

Bell managed to cut down the first Goblin to enter his range easily enough. The second was almost in his guard by the time his blade cut its throat. The third clawed at him, scratching his breastplate, before he stabbed it through the stomach and then used it to bludgeon the fourth Goblin. Two more Goblins managed to claw him, but Bell kneed the fifth Goblin in the face and cut down the sixth with his shortsword. The seventh Goblin leapt upwards, trying to claw at Bell’s face.

“Damn it!” Bell cursed as two of the claws cut his cheek. His left fist slammed into the Goblins face, a ‘crunch’ was heard as the Goblin went flying backwards and bounced once off the ground.

The eighth Goblin missed its attack as Bell backstepped and decapitated it with his sword. The ninth Goblin was kicked in the head so hard its feet left the ground before it collapsed like a sack of rocks. Goblin number ten tried to claw at Bell’s leg, but got Bell’s shortsword through its chest for the attempt. The fourth Goblin had gotten up from under its dead brethren, only for Bell to rush it and nearly cut its head off, blood flying through the air from the mostly severed neck. The fifth Goblin growled; its nose misshapen from being kneed in the face a moment ago. Bell didn’t give it a chance to attack, he slashed it across the torso and killed it from the massive wound.

“Hah…hah…ow, damn it…” Bell was breathing heavily from the short but intense fight. “Potion…” He reached into his backpack and pulled out one of the vials. Uncorking it, he poured a little onto the claw marks on his face. The pain slowly faded away until it vanished entirely. Bell drank the rest of it and felt the relief as all of his various scratches and claw marks healed up rapidly and the pain disappeared. “Potions are amazing.” He marveled at the medicine and the complete lack of pain. “Now to get all of the Magic Stones.” Bell cleaned off his shortsword and sheathed it before pulling out his knife. “I bet if I had Magic, this fight would’ve been easier.”

Bell did walk away with a smile however, a Goblin Fang now added to his backpack alongside the Kobold Nail.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 9,660 Valis, the Kobold Nail was worth 900 Valis, and the Goblin Fang was worth 600 Valis. Your total exchange today is 11,160 Valis; have a good evening.” The man behind the glass nodded to Bell while pushing the tray over to his side.

“Thank you.” Bell nodded as he collected his money. He’d give Anna his report and then head home for a nice shower and dinner.

-Abandoned Church-

“Are you sure that you’re, okay?” Hestia worried over Bell while holding his tattered jacket.

Bell smiled at her concern for him, but wanted to dispel her worries. “I’m fine, Goddess. The Low Potion that I got from the Blue Pharmacy was able to take care of those scratches and cuts.” To prove his point he removed his black shirt to show her his unmarked skin.

“That’s a relief.” Hestia sighed after checking him over. “I don’t think this jacket is worth trying to mend at this point.” She held up the nearly shredded garment.

“I liked that jacket too.” Bell frowned at the state of his jacket after only three days.

“How about you take the day off tomorrow and we go shopping?” Hestia suggested with a smile. “You can get more clothes with some of the money that you’ve already brought in. Our Familia isn’t in the red with you bringing back so much money every day.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Bell agreed with a nod. “I need to drop off my armor and sword for maintenance too. They’re starting to wear down after three days of dungeon crawling.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Goddess, could you show me around Orario while we’re out tomorrow? I’d love to spend the day with you and learn the layout of the city.”

“Sure, Bell, I’d be happy to show you around while we shop.” Hestia beamed at him. “You can go ahead and take your shower while I start dinner.”

“Sure thing, Goddess.” Bell agreed as he headed for the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, Hestia’s composure broke. “He wants to spend the day with me?!” Her face turned red and her hands covered her cheeks. “Shopping, seeing the city…it’s like a d-date!”

Hestia might be a Virgin Goddess, but that didn’t mean she was oblivious about love and romantic relationships. She just never wanted to be the ‘conquest’ of some random God in Tenkai, so she’d refused all of them. Artemis and Athena were similar, the three of them being referred to as the Big Three Virgin Goddesses.

“Sh-Should I wear something different?” Hestia ran her hands over her white mini dress and wondered if it was appropriate. “I mean, Bell didn’t say that it was a date…but he didn’t say it wasn’t one either.” She giggled while she started preparing dinner. Truly she was becoming a bit smitten with Bell. But when he was so kind, respectful, and interested in her; why wouldn’t she become a little enamored with him?

After dinner, Bell was lying facedown on the bed with Hestia once more straddling his lower back as she updated his Falna.

“You’re working so hard, Bell.” Hestia commented after seeing his Excelia and his day in the Dungeon through it. “You definitely need a day off.”

“Thank you for taking me around the city tomorrow, Goddess.” Bell smiled at her over his shoulder.

“I’m happy to, Bell.” Hestia smiled warmly at him as she finished the update. Placing a blank paper over the Falna, she twirled the tip of her index finger in a circle and the numbers copied over to the paper. “Here you go, Bell.” Hestia slid off of him, letting him sit up and take the paper from her.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 21 > I 33

Endurance – I 18 > I 31

Dexterity – I 20 > I 32

Agility – I 19 > I 29

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“Slowly but surely.” Bell smiled at his progress. He knew it was easier to grow at the beginning, but it was growth that he was happy to see. It meant that he was getting stronger. One more step towards his goals.

-The Next Day-

Bell and Hestia were walking around Orario together. The short Goddess eagerly leading Bell around and showing him the sights of the ‘Center of the World’. Bell had dropped off his armor and shortsword in the morning, being told to come pick it up tomorrow morning. Clothes shopping had been easy, and a replacement jacket that was very similar to his previous one had been bought too. They’d had a nice lunch at a café called Café Wishe, and Hestia had grinned while showing Bell Amour Square, a place that couples often came to together.

“Do you want to stop by the bookstore, Hestia?” Bell asked, only to not get a response. Looking to his left he realized that Hestia was gone. Bell turned to look back the way they came and saw Hestia looking into the window of a boutique shop. Walking over to stand beside her, Bell quickly saw what had caught his Goddess’s attention. Two hair ties with the white and blue flower designs and a little bell on each one. Seeing Hestia so enraptured by them, Bell smiled and quietly entered the boutique.

“Oh?” Hestia blinked as her gaze upon the cute hair ties was broken by an employee coming to take them from the display. She shook her head. ‘I shouldn’t be thinking about buying accessories right now. They were cute though… No, no, no! They were pricey! Bell is working so hard to provide for us, and I’m not going to blow that money on a frivolous purchase!’ She nodded firmly at her thoughts and refocused her attention on Bell.

“Ready to go, Goddess?” Bell asked from where he was standing next to the door, the bags of new clothes still in his hands.

“Yes.” Hestia nodded and the two started walking back towards their home.

-Abandoned Church-

After another great dinner, Bell was waiting for Hestia to finish her shower. He sat on the bed with a smile on his face, while holding a small wooden box wrapped with a bow in his hands. Once Hestia emerged from the bathroom, he’d surprise her with the gift.

“Ah, today has been a good day.” Hestia commented as she came back into the main room of the basement.

“Maybe I can make it even better?” Bell held up the box with a smile. “I got you a gift, Goddess.”

“Bell…” Hestia blushed as she saw the gift in his hands and the smile on his face. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” She walked over to the bed and sat next to him with a brilliant smile.

“I wanted to.” Bell assured her, handing her the wooden box.

“Thank you, Bell.” Hestia was nearly swooning at getting a gift ‘just because’ from Bell. She untied the bow and then lifted the lid…and went completely still when she saw what was in the box.

“I saw how much you liked them, so I bought them for you.” Bell smiled at Hestia. “I thought a surprise would be nice.”

“But them on for me?” Hestia looked at Bell with her blue eyes glistening.

“Huh? B-But I’ve never tied up a girl’s hair before…” Bell shook his head.

“It just takes practice, Bell.” Hestia ran her fingers through her long, lustrous, raven black hair; free from their normal twin-tails since she’d just gotten out of the shower and put on her pajamas for bed. “It’s a gift from you to me, so I want you to put them on me.” The smile she graced him with instantly made him agree.

“Alright.” Bell nodded and picked up the first hair tie. Hestia closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sensation as Bell gently gathered up her hair on one side and tide the new hair tie around it. She hummed happily as Bell repeated the gentle gathering of her still free locks, and then tied them up with the second pretty hair tie. “I…I’m done, Goddess.” Bell announced, only to watch as Hestia nearly raced to the bathroom and the only mirror within the basement.

“Ah~” Hestia cooed when she saw her reflection. Her long hair done up into her preferred twin-tails with the adorable flower and bell themed hair ties. ‘A gift from Bell…a gift…and he tied up my hair too!’ Her heart was full to bursting as Hestia nearly bolted out of the bathroom and into Bell’s arms, hugging him for all that she was worth. “Thank you so much, Bell! I love them!”

“Y-You’re welcome, Goddess!” Bell felt his body lock up for a second. He’d never received such affection from a woman before. The fact that Hestia was pressing her body flush against his as she squeezed him meant that he could feel every one of her curves and her large breasts pressed into him. He returned her hug a moment later as he relaxed and just enjoyed the hug from his Goddess.

“Hey, Bell…” Hestia pulled back from the hug just enough to look into his rubellite eyes. “I’m glad I met you…and I’m glad that you’re the first of my Familia.” She smiled beautifully at him.

“I’m glad that I met you too, Hestia.” Bell used her name, even he wasn’t dense enough to not realize the closeness of the situation. He returned her smile with his own as they stared into each other’s eyes.

‘I’m in love with you, Bell…’ Hestia thought to herself as she leaned in.

Bell didn’t know what prompted Hestia to move, but before he realized it, he was leaning in too. Closer, closer…their lips met for the first time and warmth bloomed within both of them. Their eyes closed as they continued to kiss. Hestia pressed herself flush against Bell once more, while Bell’s arms tightened snugly around her waist. A long moment later and the two pulled back, opening their eyes and just looking at each other in silence.

“Wow…” Bell didn’t even consciously say it, the word just came out.

“Yeah…” Hestia agreed, her hands still on his chest.

“Again?” Bell knew that there were more important questions to ask, but right now, he just wanted to experience that again.

“Yes.” Hestia smiled and gently leaned into another kiss with Bell. Still soft, gentle, simple, but more than either of them had experienced before.

This kiss was longer, both of them exploring the feelings further and just holding each other close.

“Hestia…” Bell murmured when their lips separated again. He just hugged her warmly, just wanting to keep her close.

“Sleep in the bed with me.” Hestia requested as she snuggled into his arms. “I want to snuggle you all night, Bell.” The Goddess giggled gently, enjoying their closeness far too much to want it to stop.

“Is…is that okay?” Bell asked, worried that he may be crossing a line that mortals shouldn’t.

“Of course~” Hestia’s laughter was a heavenly melody. “Gods and Mortals have had relationships for longer than most can remember.” She reassured him with another gentle kiss. “Where do you think the tales and legends of Demi-Gods come from?” Hestia gently leaned on Bell until he laid back on the bed, taking her with him.

“Demi-Gods…” Bell breathed out and Hestia felt his arms hold her tighter.

“Oh? Do you like that idea, Bell?” Hestia giggled, feeling the reaction of his body. “Naughty boy~”

“I want a family…it’s one of my dreams.” Bell replied, letting Hestia lay on him.

Hestia snuggled into Bell’s chest with soft giggles. “I’m the Goddess of Family, Bell. Perhaps we were meant to meet, hmm?”

“Maybe.” Bell chuckled lightly, slowly running his hand up and down Hestia’s back.

“Let me take these off.” Hestia sat up slowly, Bell’s arms letting her go after a second. She gently removed her new hair ties, setting them on the worn nightstand next to the bed, straddling Bell the whole time. “I don’t want to sleep in them and accidentally damage them.”

Bell pulled her back down on top of him and kissed her again. The two moaned softly against each other’s lips. Eventually, through a fumbling combined effort, the blanket was pulled over them. The two not having to break their lip lock the entire time. When they finally broke their kiss, Bell wrapped his arms around Hestia, while she cuddled into his chest.

They were both asleep with smiles on their faces a short time later.

-The Next Morning-

“Hmnn…” Bell blinked as he woke up, his eyes adjusting to the low light in their basement home. ‘Five in the morning, right on the dot.’ Bell’s internal clock had been set to the schedule of the farming in his remote village, so he still woke up at five in the morning each day. Feeling the weight on his chest, he looked down to see Hestia snuggled up to him still.

“Nnh…” Hestia exhaled softly as she slept.

‘So cute…’ Bell smiled at seeing Hestia so relaxed and comfortable. Feeling her soft breasts pressed into him was also nice. The short Goddess moved a bit in her sleep, pressing her bosom against him even more. Bell wouldn’t lie, it felt nice…very nice.

“Bell…?” Hestia slowly woke up, her blue eyes meeting his rubellite gaze.

“Good morning, Hestia.” Bell smiled softly at her.

“Good morning, Bell.” Hestia smiled back at him, moving up his body to kiss his lips. “I’ll make breakfast.”

“I’ll help.” Bell offered as Hestia sat up, straddling his waist as the blanket fell off her body, leaving her in her simple, white night gown.

“Thank you.” Hestia giggled as his hands rested on her waist.

Breakfast was a warm meal filled with talk about their plans for the day. Hestia had work today and Bell was going to pick up his armor and shortsword from the Hephaestus shop before heading into the Dungeon.

“I’ll see you this evening, Hestia.” Bell smiled as he prepared to head out.

“One thing, first.” Hestia stood on her tiptoes and kissed Bell. Bell returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Hestia. “Have a good day, Bell, and come back safe.” She smiled beautifully at him.

“I will, Hestia, promise.” Bell kissed her lips once more before letting her go and heading up the stairs.

“Aah~” Hestia sighed in happiness, even twirling around once before hugging herself with a giggle. “Bell, I love you~”

-Dungeon ~ Third Floor-

“Okay, first time on the Third Floor, I can do this.” Bell drew his shortsword and held it at the ready. Before him was a group of Goblins, five of the green-skinned monsters. The group charged toward him with shrieks and growls and Bell rushed to meet them.

A flash of his blade opened the throat of the first Goblin to come in range. The shortsword came back around to fully decapitate the second Goblin. He back-stepped to dodge the third Goblin’s attack, pivoted on his left heel to avoid the fourth’s attack and slashed its back open in a spray of blood. The fifth Goblin met the same fate as the first. Its throat slashed open as it collapsed to the ground and quickly bled out. The third tried to attack from behind only to eat a mule kick to the face that sent it sprawling. Not giving it a chance to recover, Bell rushed over to stab it in the chest. The Goblin went limp as its heart was pierced, and Bell let out an internal sigh of relief that he hadn’t accidentally struck the small Magic Stone that was in roughly the same area.

Crack

Crack

The Dungeon Wall split a bit further away from Bell, revealing two Kobolds being born.

“I thought multiple spawns weren’t common until the Fifth Floor?” Bell didn’t waste time though, Kobolds were fast on their own, fighting multiple of them was difficult for a newbie like him.

“Yipe!” The first Kobold cried out as it was cut down almost as soon as it emerged from the wall. Blood splattered the floor as the Monster died, but Bell was already attacking the second Kobold.

“Grrrr!” The second Kobold was able to fight, having fully emerged from the wall already. Bell parried the first claw swipe with his shortsword, sidestepped the second from the opposite hand, then backstepped as the Kobold lunged forward to try and bite him with its jaw full of fangs.

“Hyah!” Bell pivoted to get out side of the Kobold’s line of attack. With a strong swing, his shortsword slashed the Kobold’s side open, cutting it all the way to the spine. The Monster collapsed and died a second later, the area beneath it being covered in a pool of blood.

“Seven Monsters right off the bat today…” Bell slowed his breathing. “If that’s how it’s going to be from now on, I really hope I get a Skill or Magic soon.” He cleaned off his blade and sheathed it before pulling out his knife. “I hope I get another Drop Item!” Bell grinned as he started harvesting the Magic Stones form the seven slain Monsters.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 9,622 Valis, and the two Goblin Fangs are worth 1,200 Valis. Your total exchange today is 10,822 Valis, sir.” The woman behind the glass smiled at Bell, pushing the tray of coins back onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you.” Bell happily collected his coins and placed them in his leather pouch. He walked towards the meeting area to give his report to Anna for the day while murmuring lowly to himself. “I had to use another Low Potion today…that leaves me with three. We need to start repairing the old church building, maybe renovate it entirely… We’ll need a lot of money for that.” A few ideas of how to earn more floated around Bell’s head, but the most obvious one was for him to kill more Monsters in the Dungeon.

-Abandoned Church-

“Bell!” Hestia eagerly hugged Bell as soon as he stepped into the basement. “Did you have a good day?”

“It wasn’t too bad.” Bell chuckled as he hugged her back. “I’m getting better at dodging and blocking the Goblins and Kobolds, but I think my shirt is beyond saving today.” He showed her the tears in the black fabric over his stomach area where three Kobolds and broken through his defenses and managed to claw him.

“You’re okay, right?!” Hestia pulled his shirt up to check for any injuries.

Bell smiled at her concern for him. “I’m fine, just needed a Low Potion and I was good as new.”

“Thank goodness.” Hestia sighed in relief. “You get a shower; I’ll make dinner, and then we’ll update your Status.” She smiled at him brightly.

“Alright.” Bell chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

“Bell!” Hestia giggled at the affection before playfully pushing him towards the bathroom.

After dinner, Bell was once more lying shirtless on the bed, Hestia straddled his lower back and let a drop of her blood fall onto his Falna. The blue-white light glowed and Hestia began watching the Excelia, seeing Bell’s day in the Dungeon.

‘He’s working so hard… For us, for his dreams…’ Hestia loved Bell all the more for his desire to help her like this. If only she could do something worthy to call herself his Goddess. ‘Hmm?’ Hestia noticed something within the Falna that hadn’t been there before. “Ma…Magic.”

“Hm?” Bell looked over his shoulder at Hestia, not having heard the muttered word.

“There’s Magic in your Falna.” Hestia stared at the glowing Blessing on Bell’s back in shock.

“EEEHHH?!” Bell pushed himself upwards in surprise. This toppled Hestia backwards onto the bed with a cute squeak. “Goddess! Is it true?! I’ve become a Magic user?!” His rubellite eyes were sparkling as he looked at her.

“A bit of an overreaction…but yes, you have.” Hestia looked up at him from the bed with an amused grin. “Congratulations, Bell.” She sat up and gently pushed him back down onto the bed so that she could finish the update. Hestia wrote the Magic into Bell’s Falna, smiling brightly as soon as she saw the name of his spell manifest. “One second, Bell.” She placed a blank paper onto his back and had the newly updated Status copied over to it.

“Can I see?!” Bell eagerly looked at the paper in Hestia’s hands. She handed it over with a giggle, seeing how excited he was.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 33 > I 45

Endurance – I 31 > I 43

Dexterity – I 32 > I 44

Agility – I 29 > I 40

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

Sacred Ash – Incantation: “Remnants of the Sacred Flame, alight on the wind and scatter.” This Magic allows the user to conjure and manipulate ashes, ember, and smoke. They can control the temperature and form constructs with it. The user can change the effect of the spell to provide mild healing and remove Charms, Curses, and Anti-Status conditions by chanting Chari.

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“Sacred Ash, huh?” Hestia leaned against Bell with a teasing smile. She was absolutely thrilled that his Magic was so clearly related to her and her Domain of the Hearth. Not to mention the Divine Flame that she presided over. “That makes me very happy, Bell.”

“It’s so cool…” Bell marveled at his new Magic. “I can’t wait to try this out tomorrow!” Hestia giggled as Bell wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss. “Thank you, Hestia!”

“You’re the one that manifested the Magic, silly.” Hestia laughed beautifully as she captured his lips again. “Let me get these off.” She gently removed her new hair ties with a smile, setting them on the old nightstand. Then she surprised Bell as she undid the blue bow around her neck and pulled the top of her mini dress down, freeing her bare tits. “A little reward to celebrate your Magic~”

“H-Hestia…” Bell’s eyes were locked onto the divine tits.

“Touch them, Bell.” Hestia encouraged and could only gasp and coo when Bell’s hands gently cupped her breasts for the first time. “Mmm, like that~”

Bell was completely entranced by Hestia’s tits. They were the first pair that he’d gotten to see, and he was allowed to touch them too! Hearing Hestia mewl and gasp as he touched her made Bell happy. He gently squeezed her tits, and heard her moan when he lightly rubbed his thumb over her stiff nipple. “Do you like that, Hestia?”

“Yes~” Hestia cooed at his touch. “Bell~!” She cried out in pleasure when Bell took one of her nipples into his mouth and began to lick and suck on it. “Mmm, ah…more…” Hestia encouraged him.

It would be no surprise that the two of them went to bed late that night with smiled on their faces. Hestia sleeping in nothing but her panties, pressed up against Bell’s body, skin-to-skin as they shared warmth.

-Dungeon ~ Third Floor-

Bell had been giddy since he woke up this morning, eager to head to the Dungeon and test out his new Magic. “A Goblin!” He grinned at seeing the small green Monster. “Okay, here I go.” He took a breath to steady himself. “Remnants of the Sacred Flame, alight on the wind and scatter!”

Black ashes poured off of Bell’s left hand and forearm, where he’d decided to cast the spell from, since his right hand was holding his shortsword. He marveled at his Magic as it swirled around in a thick cloud and responded to his will.

“Graaah!” The Goblin screeched and charged Bell; its claws raised to attack.

The black ashes quickly heated up in response to Bell’s will, turning a burning hot orange. Bell thought about what he wanted and from the swirling, burning ashes pellets about the size of his thumb were launched at the Goblin.

“Gah, ack, kuh, grak!” The Goblin was blasted with the burning pellets of ash and nearly torn apart as each shot exploded against its body. The smell of burning blood and flesh was in the air of the corridor, but Bell ignored that as he saw the results of his first test with his spell.

“Wow!” Bell’s rubellite eyes were sparkling as he looked over the results. “This Magic is amazing!” The black ashes continued to swirl in a small cloud around his left arm. Bell felt the slight drain on his Mind as the cloud continued to draw from him to maintain itself, but that did prove he could maintain the spell for as long as he had Mind. “So, it’s not a single-shot spell that I have to say the incantation for every time that I want to use it. That’ll be useful.”

Crack

Crack

The Dungeon walls cracked open but Bell didn’t see where. Recalling his lessons about the Monsters of the first four Floors, Bell’s head snapped upwards towards the ceiling of the corridor.

Sure enough, two Dungeon Lizards were emerging from the ceiling.

“The Status mentioned something about constructs, right?” Bell looked at the swirling cloud of black ashes. He focused on what he wanted right now to take care of the Dungeon Lizards. The ashes responded, the cloud shrinking down and Bell suddenly felt weight in his left hand. “Yah!” He threw what was in his hand forward, revealing two black blades as his left hand cleared the cloud of ashes.

“Sssshrrakkhh!” The Dungeon Lizard on the right cried out as one of the black blades struck it right in the head. It fell to the stone floor with a thud and didn’t move.

“Sssshaaahhh!” The second Dungeon Lizard had moved, the blade only sticking into tis side, rather than its head. It leapt down at Bell to attack with a loud hissing sound.

“Hyah!” Bell’s shortsword met the falling Dungeon Lizard and nearly bisected it. The reptile Monster hit the ground with a wet splat as blood covered the rocky floor. “This Magic is going to change everything!” He marveled at his new spell a bit more before letting it disperse. The slight drain he’d been feeling went away and Bell could barely contain his excitement. “Magic Stones first, then we hunt more Monsters!” He cleaned and sheathed his sword before pulling out his knife to harvest the slain Monsters.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 10,462 Valis, the Goblin Fang was worth 600 Valis, and the two Kobold Nails were worth 1,800 Valis.” The man behind the glass informed Bell. “Your total exchange for today is 12,862 Valis; have a nice evening.”

“I will…thank you…” Bell slowly collected his money and put it into his hip pouch. He trudged over to the meeting area to give his report to Anna.

“Bell? You look exhausted!” Anna fretted over the young man a bit.

“I think I overdid it with my new Magic…my head feels fuzzy.” Bell shook himself to keep the feeling from getting worse.

“Let’s get your report done quickly, then you can head home for some sleep.” Anna gave him a polite smile.

“Thanks, Miss Anna…” Bell appreciated her kindness.

-Abandoned Church-

“Bell…” Hestia trailed off seeing him trudge into the basement. “You look worn out, was the Dungeon that bad today?”

“No…” Bell shook his head. “I think I overused…” He yawned in the middle of his sentence. “…my Magic.”

“Come here.” Hestia smiled, gently taking his hand and leading him over to the bed. She sat down and guided him to lay down with his head on her thighs. “Rest, Bell…you’ve earned it.” She whispered to him softly, gently running her fingers through his white hair.

“Love you…Hestia.” Bell mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

Hestia’s heart soared at hearing those words, but she contained herself to a radiant smile. “Love you too, Bell.” She continued to give him a lap pillow as he slept, lightly humming in joy as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

There was nothing but love and happiness in the basement that they called home that night. Neither Hestia or Bell would have it any other way.

-End Chapter-

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Fluffy ending! So cute!

Bell develops Ash Magic from his feelings for Hestia! His Ash Magic is special though, being both offensive and having a healing/cure aspect! But what else would you expect from ashes of the Divine Flame?

He chose a shortsword instead of a knife, perhaps that will lead to another change in the future!

With a Bell that’s already gained Magic, is already busting his ass in the Dungeon, and has multiple dreams to fulfill, it’s no wonder he’s growing so well!

Bell’s desire and determination is not to be underestimated!

Hestia certainly doesn’t seem to mind his desire for a family! She’ll happily give him some Demi-God babies! Once he’s actually strong enough to have a chance to successfully conceive with her, of course. That takes A LOT of Divinity within the Falna though!

How far will Bell go with powers loosely based off of Kurono from Fire Force?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!