"I'm back, Hestia—mm, stop clinging."
Hestia was still glued to him, so Takumi pinched her cheek.
Even while getting bullied like that, Hestia just giggled and refused to let go.
"Mmmnnn—Takumi-kun, you smell even better now~"
The tighter she pressed in, the more obvious his change felt. But that wasn't the important part—she could inspect him properly later.
Hestia wiped the corner of her mouth like she'd almost drooled, then put on a serious face.
"Takumi-kun, something important! Tonight is the Banquet of the Gods to celebrate Orario's victory. You're the brightest hero out there—you have to show up and make an entrance. Hephaestus specifically bought you an outfit. Try it on."
The moment she mentioned Hephaestus, Hestia puffed her cheeks, clearly annoyed.
But she also knew the truth—she couldn't afford anything decent on short notice, so she had to swallow Hephaestus's kindness.
With Hestia leading him, Takumi saw it, a pure white suit.
He badly wanted to complain about why a fantasy world had something that modern, but considering this world literally had gods of art and craft… yeah, ahead of its time wasn't that weird.
He behaved and didn't say it out loud—then noticed Hestia's own formal wear nearby.
Calling it a dress was generous. It was basically a slightly more proper everyday outfit.
Next to his crisp white suit, it looked like it belonged in a completely different universe.
"Hestia… yours—"
Seeing him gesture at her dress, Hestia laughed awkwardly.
"We're broke, okay? And the Familia literally just registered. Right now, we save wherever we can. You looking handsome is enough!!"
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at him.
Takumi sighed, amused.
"Being treated like this by my goddess does make me happy… but I'm not going to let my goddess look cheap either."
He lifted his palm.
"Alchemy Reconstruction! Two-Dimensional Bestowal Technique: Shapeshift!"
A golden alchemy formation spread out and washed over Hestia's outfit.
In the blink of an eye, the plain clothes transformed into a luxurious formal gown in blue and white, edged with gilded patterns and gold-trim detailing.
It fit Hestia perfectly—hugging her figure and drawing a clean, wicked outline around her baby face and huge tits, the curves so tempting it was almost unfair.
But it didn't go overboard. Soft fabric and layered decorations covered what needed to be covered, keeping it elegant while still sexy as hell.
The moment she put it on, the poor goddess vibe evaporated—her presence shot up several levels.
"Ooooooh!!!"
Hestia squealed, staring at herself like she couldn't believe it.
"If you bought something like this with valis, it'd cost at least ten million, right?!"
"More," Takumi said casually. "I added multiple enchantments too—self-repair, defense, auto-fitting… Hestia, feel it."
With Takumi guiding her, Hestia started playing with the effects like a kid with a new toy, completely hooked.
Then a fluffy fox peeked in from the side.
Haruhime was holding the white suit, smiling sweetly. "Takumi-sama, let me help you get dressed~"
Her tail swayed back and forth, and her bright red face made it obvious how excited she was.
Hestia instantly panicked.
"Ah—fox! No! I do that!"
"Hestia-sama," Haruhime said softly, "you're wearing the dress. It's not convenient~~"
Before Haruhime could even finish, Lili—already sitting on the sofa—jumped in at the perfect moment.
"Exactly. Hestia, you'll wrinkle it."
Not giving Hestia a chance to undress him, the two of them were already moving.
They stepped in, hands roaming shamelessly—giving Takumi's hard, muscular body a firm squeeze and a hungry little feel—before reluctantly helping him into the white suit.
The fitted, sharply tailored white suit looked even better on Takumi, like he was built to wear it.
Especially with the faint outline of his muscles showing through the fabric—pure masculine appeal.
Man or woman, anyone who looked at him couldn't help but feel their heart tilt toward him.
"Mmmnnn—Takumi-sama is so handsome!"
"Seriously! Takumi-sama like this could totally kill people!"
Haruhime and Lili looked downright thirsty, their faces full of shameless admiration.
Even Hestia—who'd been pissed a second ago—got hypnotized by Takumi's pretty face.
If there weren't a banquet starting any minute, she probably would've dragged him somewhere private and pounced.
"Hehe… slurp… Takumi-kun, let's go, hurry!"
Hestia hooked her arm through his like she was showing him off and marched down the street, chest out, smug as hell.
Haruhime and Lili could only stand there watching longingly.
They wanted to follow too, but they didn't have a good excuse.
"Whatever. It's just a banquet," Lili said, grabbing Haruhime's sleeve. "We'll have plenty of time with Takumi-sama later. Haruhime—if we both go in together, and I imitate your fox form… then the two of us can—"
Haruhime's face went redder with every word.
She kept saying, "No, that's not okay," but her tail was wagging like crazy—and her body betrayed her with a tiny, obedient nod.
…
Takumi and Hestia arrived at the banquet venue not long after: the Ganesha Familia.
In the wide open grounds surrounded by white walls, a giant elephant-headed statue sat cross-legged, bold as day.
It was something Ganesha apparently built on a whim, blowing the Familia's entire savings on it.
The members hated it. Every time they went in and out, they did it unwillingly.
Because the entrance was located right at the center of the statue's crossed legs.
And somehow, thanks to how ridiculous that building was, it became one of the few structures in Orario that survived the chaos completely intact.
As Takumi followed the flow of people inside, he could hear adventurers and gods roasting it nonstop.
But honestly? The inside was surprisingly normal—solid, simple, and steady.
The moment Takumi and Hestia stepped into the banquet, they instantly became the center of attention.
"That's Hestia—the damn lucky goddess."
"Ugh, she's just a little bratty god. How is her luck that good?"
"She only has one member—Takumi-kun. How the hell does she get to stay? She definitely sold her ass!"
"Yeah! Exactly!"
…
Hestia's cheeks turned bright red as she heard the trash talk.
Sold her ass? Please. This was a goddess caring for her Familia member!
They were just jealous—every single one of them.
Hestia lifted her chin, puffed her chest, and went full I'm-not-listening-you're-all-idiots mode.
Shameless as ever, she kept holding Takumi's hand and flaunting him harder.
Then a voice came from the side—flat-out exhausted.
"Hestia, you look like someone walking their pet hamster on a leash."
It was Hephaestus.
Hestia was currently stuffing food into her mouth, cheeks puffed out while she chewed, and her free hand was still clamped on Takumi like she was terrified he'd vanish.
Honestly… it really was kind of embarrassing.