Then, in the very next moment-
"Eh? Ehhh??!!!!"
An even louder scream, one sharp enough to shatter glass, rang through the entire hall of Valka's Red House.
The volume was so high that the sound waves rolled through the building. Even a few smiths working deeper inside the Red House were startled so badly that their hands shook, and they nearly dropped their red-hot tongs onto their own feet.
Hestia's eyes, which had been full of disdain just a second ago, were now opened wider than bronze bells, her eyeballs practically about to stick to Haimer's face.
"The high-end residential district at the intersection of North Main Street and West Main Street?!!"
"You mean that legendary rich people's area where only wealthy Familias that throw gold coins around like pebbles can afford to live?!"
Faced with Hestia's little face right up against his, Haimer leaned back on instinct, avoiding the spray of spit, then nodded calmly.
"That's right."
"Thanks to Captain Shakti's generous sponsorship."
"Not just the house. The full set of furniture has already been paid for too."
"We can move in tonight with nothing but our bags."
As he said that, Haimer casually lifted a hand and pointed at the silent, fully armored sponsor standing nearby.
The instant those words fell, the air seemed to freeze for a second.
And then, just as expected, Hestia moved.
"Whoosh!"
She launched herself forward like a spring.
A textbook pounce.
Her body, which had been limp from hunger just moments ago, now exploded with shocking momentum.
As for that haughty attitude from earlier, the one where she had acted like she didn't care in the slightest?
That had long since been thrown into some forgotten corner of Orario's sewers.
…
"Haimer!"
"What kind of friendship do we have, huh?!"
"We're comrades who came down from Heaven together! Friends who shared hardship and stuck together through thick and thin!"
"As they say, true feelings are revealed in times of trouble!"
"Your home is my home! I absolutely won't mind! Absolutely!"
For the sake of mooching the right to live in a mansion, Hestia shamelessly pushed herself closer while blinking those watery eyes at Haimer with all her might.
She was clearly trying to use that technique called acting cute to forcibly overwrite the fact that barely a minute ago, she had still been looking down on Haimer's shabby old house.
After all, if Haimer just gave her permission now, then she would have secured herself an insurance policy.
If one day Hephaestus really did harden her heart and throw her out to find work, then Hestia could still run over to Haimer's mansion and continue living there as a parasite.
Thinking of that, Hestia couldn't help admiring her own decisiveness.
…
Haimer, meanwhile, looked at this loli goddess whose expressions changed faster than flipping pages in a book, and kept a completely blank face.
"Come to think of it…"
"Wasn't a certain goddess just acting completely unimpressed a moment ago?"
The instant those words came out, Hestia froze on the spot.
Then her big eyes spun once, and she immediately put on the most innocent expression she could manage.
"Eh? Did I?"
"Who said that? Where? Why don't I know anything about it?"
"Haimer, you must have heard wrong!"
"I've always been Hestia, your number one supporter!"
Hestia smoothly fired off a triple denial.
She grinned foolishly while reaching out with one chubby little hand, clearly intending to pat Haimer on the shoulder and act close to him. Her two signature black twin-tails even swayed back and forth with the movement, making her look especially eager to please.
However, reality proved one thing very clearly.
Treating other people like fools came with a price.
Especially in front of someone who happened to be holding a hard object.
Haimer said nothing.
He simply raised his right hand slightly.
Then he flicked his wrist.
Thunk.
A crisp, muffled sound rang out.
The shaft of the spear in Haimer's hand landed squarely against Hestia's little head while she was still pretending to be clueless.
"Eek!!!"
"Ow ow ow!!"
Hestia let out a pitiful cry and immediately clutched her forehead with both hands.
She bounced backward three full steps, tears springing to her eyes from the pain.
"Wuuu… I've been hit stupid…"
"I'm definitely stupid now!"
"Haimer, you idiot! Why'd you hit so hard?!"
"If this goddess gets hit stupid, how am I supposed to build a Familia in the future?!"
"It's all your fault!"
"You have to take responsibility! You have to take care of my daily needs!"
"Otherwise I'm going to the Guild and reporting you for abusing a goddess!"
While rubbing the swelling bump on her forehead, Hestia lifted her head with teary eyes, her face full of accusation.
Still, speaking of that, what exactly had hit her just now? It had been as hard as an iron rod…
With that thought in mind, Hestia kept complaining as she raised her head to look.
And then,
"?!!"
She saw it.
What Haimer was holding in his right hand was a silver-white spear, with a dark red tip.
The instant Hestia recognized the weapon in Haimer's hand, the little pouty face she had been making froze on the spot.
Even the muscles at the corners of her eyes twitched twice.
Although Haimer was only holding the spear casually, and the tip was even pointed downward, Hestia's pupils still shrank violently.
After all, she was also a chief god who had descended from Heaven.
No matter how useless she usually acted, there were still certain things she understood far better than anyone in the Lower World ever could.
She naturally understood exactly what a sight like this meant to the gods below.
War Calamity, the god who had given the heavens a headache even back in the divine realm.
The troublemaker whom all the gods had unanimously agreed must absolutely never be allowed to obtain a weapon in the Lower World.
And yet now, he was openly carrying one?
At that moment, Hestia did not even dare imagine what kind of reaction the gathered gods would have when the next Divine Assembly, held once every three months, came around and everyone learned of this.
And that was not all.
Shakti noticed Hestia's change in expression very clearly.
She could not help frowning.
As a mortal of the Lower World, she naturally knew nothing of Heaven's hidden secrets.
But even so, she could tell now that it was not just her own god, Ganesha, who adopted a rare tone of gravity whenever this particular deity was discussed.
Even this goddess, who had seemed careless and empty-headed from the very beginning, had reacted so dramatically the moment she discovered the weapon in his hand.
It was as if she had just seen something that should never exist in this world.
Because of that, Shakti could not help turning her gaze back to Haimer once more.
That black-haired figure still looked as casual and indifferent as before.
And yet, why would the gods fear a god simply holding a weapon?
For the thousand years since the gods descended, there had never been any explicit rule forbidding gods from possessing weapons in the Lower World.
So why was it only this one god, once he came into contact with a weapon, who seemed to have triggered some absolute taboo that could never be crossed?
Shakti truly could not understand it.
But her instincts told her that whatever answer lay behind that question would probably overturn her entire worldview.
…
"Come on, don't look like you've seen a ghost."
"So far in the Lower World, I haven't even killed a single animal."
"I'm just an ordinary god who follows the law and loves life."
The moment she heard the words ordinary god, Hestia could not help puffing out her cheeks.
"That's only because killing an animal wouldn't do anything for you."
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