Immediately after.
"Huh? HUH?!?!?!?!"
An even louder shriek, powerful enough to shatter glass, completely resounded through the hall of [Vulcan's Red House].
The decibel level of this scream was so high.
The sound waves rolled.
Even the several blacksmiths who were originally forging deep within the Red House were startled, their hands trembling, almost dropping the red-hot tongs onto their feet.
Hestia's originally contempt-filled big eyes.
Now widened larger than bronze bells, her eyeballs almost pressing against Heimdall's face.
"Th-that upscale residential area at the intersection of North Street and West Street?!!"
"That wealthy district rumored to be only affordable for those rich familias who treat gold coins like rocks to throw away?!"
Facing Hestia's little face so close at hand.
Heimdall leaned back tactically.
Avoiding the flying droplets of saliva, he nodded calmly.
"Correct."
"Thanks to Captain Shakti's generous assistance."
"Not just the house, but the entire set of furniture has already been paid for."
"I can move in directly with just my luggage tonight."
Having said that.
Heimdall very casually raised his hand and pointed at the fully armored, silent benefactor.
"!"
As soon as these words were spoken.
The air seemed to freeze for a second.
The next second.
Sure enough, Hestia moved!
"Whoosh—!"
Catapult start!
A textbook hungry tiger pouncing on its prey!
Her body, which had been weak and limp from hunger just moments ago, now erupted with astonishing kinetic energy!
As for that haughty face from earlier that said 'this goddess doesn't care for it'?
It had long since been tossed into some forgotten corner of Orario's sewers!
...
"Heimdall!"
"What kind of bond do we share!"
"We're friends who came down from the heavens together, sharing hardships and weathering storms!"
"As the saying goes, adversity reveals true friendship!"
"Your home is my home! I absolutely won't mind it! Absolutely not!"
In order to secure the right to live in the luxurious mansion.
Hestia shamelessly pressed forward while desperately batting her big, watery eyes at Heimdall.
Attempting to use this method called 'acting cute' to forcefully overwrite the fact that just a minute ago she was still dislikeing Heimdall's shabby house.
After all, now, as long as Heimdall gave her an opening.
That way, she would have an insurance policy!
If the day ever came when Hephaestus really hardened her heart and made her go find a job.
When that time came, she could still come over and freeload in Heimdall's mansion, continuing her life as a parasite!
Thinking of this, Hestia couldn't help but give herself a thumbs up for her decisiveness!
"..."
As for Heimdall, watching this Loli God whose face changed faster than flipping a book.
He remained expressionless.
"Speaking of which..."
"Wasn't a certain goddess just a moment ago acting completely unimpressed?"
"!"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Hestia's movements instantly froze.
Then.
Her big eyes rolled, and she immediately put on an expression of complete innocence.
"Huh? Was there?"
"Who said that? Where was it said? How would I know?"
"Heimdall, you must have misheard!"
"I've always been your biggest supporter, Hestia!"
So cute, I want to keep one.
Hestia skillfully deployed the denial trifecta.
Grinning foolishly while extending a chubby little hand, trying to pat Heimdall's shoulder to show closeness.
Especially her two signature black twin-tails swaying back and forth with her movements.
Making her appear exceptionally eager.
However.
The facts proved.
Treating others as fools comes at a cost.
Especially in front of someone currently holding a hard object.
Heimdall didn't speak.
He merely slightly raised his right hand.
Then flicked his wrist.
"Thud!"
A crisp, dull thud.
The shaft of the spear in Heimdall's hand landed solidly on Hestia's little head, which was still feigning ignorance.
"Eek!!!"
"Ow ow ow—!!"
Hestia whimpered, both small hands hurriedly covering her forehead.
She bounced back three steps, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.
"Waaah... you beat me silly..."
"You definitely beat me silly!"
"Heimdall, you idiot! Hitting so hard!"
"If this goddess gets beaten silly, how am I supposed to develop my familia later!"
"It's all your fault, Heimdall!"
"You have to take responsibility! You have to be responsible for taking care of me!"
"Otherwise, I'm going to report you to the Guild for abusing a goddess!"
Rubbing the small bump rising on her forehead, Hestia looked up with teary eyes, her face full of accusation.
Speaking of which.
Just what was that thing from the hit a moment ago?
Hard as an iron rod...
Thinking of this.
Hestia complained.
Then.
Looked up.
Thus.
"?!!"
Suddenly.
Hestia saw.
What Heimdall held in his right hand was actually a spear, its body entirely silver-white, with a spearhead that appeared dark red.
—When she clearly saw the weapon that appeared in Heimdall's hand.
Hestia's originally puffed-up, aggrieved little face instantly froze.
The muscles at the corners of her eyes involuntarily twitched upwards twice.
Although that spear was merely held casually in Heimdall's hand, its tip even pointing downwards.
However.
Hestia's pupils still violently constricted.
After all.
As a chief god who also descended from the heavens.
Even if she usually acts like a complete good-for-nothing.
However.
There are some things.
She naturally knows more clearly than anyone in the lower world.
She naturally understands what this scene means to the gods of the lower world.
As the [war calamity] who troubled the gods even back in heaven.
From the very beginning of her descent to the lower world.
She was unanimously recognized by the gods as a troublemaker who 'must absolutely not be allowed to obtain a weapon in the lower world'.
And now, she's openly carrying a weapon in the lower world?!
This sight, this scene.
Hestia already dared not imagine what kind of reaction the gods would have when they gathered at the God Assembly held every three months and learned of this.
Not only that.
The change in Hestia's expression.
Was clearly noticed by Shakti.
She couldn't help but frown.
Although, as a mortal of the lower world.
She was not privy to those heavenly secrets.
But after all,
She could tell that it wasn't just her own god, Ganesha, who adopted an unusually grave tone when discussing matters related to this deity.
Even this goddess, who seemed carefree and frivolous from the start, underwent such a drastic change upon seeing the weapon in the other's hand.
As if she had seen something that absolutely should not exist in this world.
Faced with this situation.
Shakti couldn't help but turn her gaze back to Heimdall.
The black-haired figure's back remained casual and indifferent.
But.
Why would the gods fear a deity holding a weapon?
For a thousand years since the gods descended to the lower world, there has never been any explicit rule forbidding gods from possessing weapons here.
Why is it that only when this particular deity touches a weapon, it feels like triggering an absolutely forbidden taboo?
Shakti truly couldn't figure it out.
However, her intuition told her.
The answer to this question.
Would probably shatter her 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 chicken."
"I'm still just an ordinary, law-abiding deity who loves life."
Upon hearing the words "ordinary deity," Hestia couldn't help puffing out her cheeks.
"That's only because killing chickens is useless to you."
-------------------------------
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